Syria sentences to death Assad's detained cousin for war crimes
The court also ordered confiscation of his assets after finding him guilty of murder, torture and crimes against humanity during Syria’s civil war.
- On Tuesday, the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced former regime figure Wassim al-Assad to death for murder, torture, and crimes against humanity, ordering confiscation of his assets.
- Arrested in June 2025 upon returning from Lebanon, Wassim faced charges for leading pro-regime paramilitary groups since 2011 and participating in military operations targeting civilians in Eastern Ghouta.
- Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated the conduct constituted "murder accompanied by torture and brutality & classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes," though the court acquitted Wassim of drug-trafficking charges.
- One week earlier, on August 11, the same court sentenced former President Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher, and Atef Najib to death; Najib appeared in person while the brothers were sentenced in absentia.
- President Ahmed al-Sharaa's transitional government continues overseeing judicial processes to reconcile five decades of dictatorship following the December 2024 regime collapse and bring perpetrators of past abuses to justice.
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49 Articles
Tagesschau
In Syria, the legal review of the Assad era continues: after the ex-Machthaber, a cousin of Assad has also been sentenced to death. Lebanon also wants to hand over a Syrian ex-General to the country.
(Johannesburg=Yonhap News) Correspondent Na Hak-jin = A Syrian court has found the cousin of former dictator Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted two years ago, guilty of war crimes, once again...
"Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian found Wassim al-Assad guilty of murder, the premeditated killing of several people, accompanied by acts of torture and brutality (...), classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes," AFP reported. Death penalty for al-Assad's cousin. The court found that the former president's cousin formed two armed groups loyal to the previous government that carried out deadly attacks near Damascus. He was also found guilt…
Wassim al-Assad, cousin of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, has been sentenced to death by a court in Damascus. The court found him guilty of premeditated murder, torture, crimes against humanity and war crimes. According to the court, armed groups linked to him participated in the abduction and killing of civilians during the war in Syria. cWassim al-Assad was arrested in June 2025, after returning from Lebanon. He has also been accused…
Vasima Assad was convicted of murder and "murder accompanied by torture and cruelty, which are characterized as crimes against humanity and war crimes".
The Fourth Damascus Criminal Court held Wassim Al Assad responsible for his involvement in massacres and acts of torture during the conflict that ended the dictatorship
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