A criminal court in Damascus on Tuesday sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher to death in absentia after convicting them of crimes against humanity and killings committed during the Syrian conflict.

The court said Bashar al-Assad was convicted of murder and incitement to murder, and issued arrest warrants for the defendants, who are at large.

The court also convicted Atef Najib, Assad’s maternal cousin and former head of the Political Security Branch in Daraa, of crimes including murder and torture resulting in death, and sentenced him to death.