18.08.2026 17:41
A striking decision has emerged in the trials against the family of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Assad's cousin, Wasim al-Assad, was sentenced to death for grave crimes committed against civilians during the years of civil war. The ruling came a week after Bashar al-Assad was sentenced to death in absentia.
Wassim Assad, the cousin of ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad, has been sentenced to death for the intentional and premeditated killing of multiple people, torture, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in a case related to crimes committed during the civil war.
HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS As the judicial process continues regarding crimes committed during the Assad regime in Syria, a verdict has been issued against 46-year-old Wassim Assad.
The court ruled that Wassim Assad established two armed groups affiliated with the former regime, and that these groups specifically targeted civilians in the town of Meliha in Eastern Ghouta.
Assad's cousin was also convicted of inciting civil war and sectarian conflict, depriving individuals of their liberty, and practicing torture.
ASSETS TO BE CONFISCATED The court also ordered the confiscation of Wassim Assad's movable and immovable assets.
Wassim Assad was also accused of drug smuggling and trafficking. However, according to the French news agency AFP, the court found the available evidence insufficient regarding these charges.
The court left open the possibility of reopening the drug-related case if new evidence emerges.
Wassim Assad CAPTURED IN JUNE It was reported that Wassim Assad was captured near the Syria-Lebanon border last year.
The verdict against him came approximately one week after Bashar Assad was sentenced to death in absentia for committing crimes against humanity during the conflict.
Bashar Assad and his family left Syria in December 2024 and fled to Russia.
HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS DIED IN THE CIVIL WAR The civil war in Syria began in 2011 with the Assad government's harsh crackdown on anti-government protests.
Over the years of conflict, more than half a million people lost their lives, while millions were forced to leave their homes. Tens of thousands of people are still reported missing.
VERDICT CAN BE APPEALED The death sentence issued against Wassim Assad at the Court of Cassation, Syria's highest judicial body, can be appealed.
The transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa had previously stated that it would ensure accountability for those responsible for crimes committed during the former regime.
Wassim Assad's conviction has become one of the latest examples of the prosecutions carried out against officials and affiliated figures of the former regime within this scope.