Damascus: A Syrian court on Tuesday sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad, to death for crimes against humanity, according to the SANA news agency. Damascus' Fourth Criminal Court convicted Wassim of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the Syrian people during the rule of the ousted government, SANA said. The court also ordered the confiscation of his movable and immovable assets in favor of the state treasury.
According to Anadolu Agency, Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that the court had established through evidence that an armed group affiliated with Wassim attacked a commercial shop in the southern town of Jaramana, stole its contents, and abducted its owner due to his opposition to the former government. The judge noted that the group was also implicated in the abduction and killing of Syrian citizens in several areas. Wassim was convicted of the intentional killing of more than one person and of torture, categorizing the offenses as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The verdict was issued during the sixth trial hearing against Wassim, who faced several charges, including forming and running irregular armed groups from early 2011 under orders from Brig. Gen. Ghiath Dalla, a brigade commander in the Fourth Division, which was led by Assad's brother Maher. The groups participated in military operations targeting civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta in southwestern Syria, particularly the town of Mleiha, resulting in civilian deaths. Wassim also faced charges of drug trafficking and premeditated murder. He was arrested by Syrian security forces on June 21, 2025, near the Syrian-Lebanese border. His trial began on June 24.
Last week, the same court sentenced Assad, his brother Maher, and six former officials to death after convicting them of offenses, including killings, torture, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party's decades-long rule that began in 1963. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January 2025.