Damascus, Syria: A Syrian court has sentenced former President Bashar Assad to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during Syria’s 14-year conflict, according to court proceedings announced on Tuesday.

The court also sentenced Assad’s younger brother, Maher Assad, to death in absentia in the same case.

A third death sentence was handed to Atef Najib, Assad’s maternal cousin and a former senior security official accused of leading the crackdown in the southern province of Daraa, which helped spark the 2011 uprising that evolved into Syria’s civil war.

Najib appeared in court under tight security and stood inside a cage wearing a prison uniform as the judge delivered the verdict.

The conflict, which began in 2011, is estimated to have killed around 500,000 people and displaced millions during one of the deadliest wars in the Middle East in recent history.

According to the case presented before the court, Najib played a central role in the security crackdown in Daraa during the early months of the uprising. At the time, he served as head of the Political Security Branch in the province and held the rank of brigadier general in the Syrian army.

The sentencing marks one of the most significant judicial rulings issued by Syria’s post-Assad authorities concerning alleged crimes committed during the civil war.