Syria opens first trial for Assad's cousin on drug trafficking charges
Judge says Wassim al-Assad faces charges that include running armed groups, drug trafficking and aiding operations that killed civilians.
- On Wednesday, Syria held the first trial session for Wassim Assad in a Damascus criminal court, where he appeared thinner and with his head shaved, facing charges related to forming armed groups.
- Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan read charges including "incitement to murder and violence through public statements and posts against opponents, drug smuggling and trafficking inside Syria and abroad, and exploiting his belonging to the Assad family for looting and extortion." He accused Wassim Assad of providing "weapons, ammunition, funding and logistical support" to armed groups in Eastern Ghouta.
- Wassim Assad denied the armed groups were affiliated with him on Wednesday, claiming his role was limited to liaising between them. The Treasury sanctioned him in 2023, identifying him as a key figure in regional drug trafficking networks.
- Protests this month demanding accountability for Assad-era figures prompted the trial, as Syria launched proceedings two months ago against Bashar Assad and Maher Assad in absentia over civil war atrocities.
- Ahmed Hassoun, Syria's former grand mufti arrested last year, is set to appear in court on Thursday. Authorities have regularly announced arrests of former military and security officials as they vow to pursue justice for crimes committed during the civil war.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Wasim al-Assad Faces Trial in Damascus on Charges of Crimes Against Humanity
Wasim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, appeared before the Fourth Criminal Court at the Palace of Justice in Damascus today, opening a landmark trial within Syria’s newly established transitional justice system. The proceedings mark the first formal step in a case alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country’s 14-year conflict. The prosecution is grounded in the Syrian Penal Code as w…
On Wednesday, the first trial session of Wasim Al-Assad started before the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus in a new step in the judicial accountability of those accused of committing violations and crimes during the rule of the former regime...
Who Is Wassim al-Assad, Who Used Syrian Regime Influence to Lead Captagon Trade?
Wassim Badih al-Assad, a cousin of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, faces charges of forming and leading armed groups, suppressing civilians, involvement in wide-ranging abuses and illicit enrichment during the rule of the former regime. He appeared in court on Wednesday to stand trial as Syria’s new rulers pursue transitional justice. Syrian Justice Minister Mazhar al-Wais said: “The trial of Wassim al-Assad is only one stage in a compr…
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diarioestrategia.clA Syrian court has opened proceedings on Wednesday against Uasim al-Assad, cousin of the overthrown Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, after his arrest in June 2025 in an operation carried out near the border with Lebanon. According to information collected by the Syrian state news agency, SANA, the man is accused of "numerous crimes against the Syrian people", including the formation of militias involved in crimes against the population. The fir…
Syria holds 1st trial for Assad’s cousin
A criminal court in Damascus on Wednesday opened the first trial session of Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, on multiple charges, including drug trafficking and other crimes committed during the rule of the former regime.
Syria opens first trial for Assad's cousin on drug trafficking charges
A criminal court in Damascus has opened the first trial session of Wassim al Assad, a cousin of former Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad, on charges including drug trafficking and involvement in crimes committed during the previous government’s rule.
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