Syrian Court Sentences Wassim al-Assad to Death for War Crimes

A Syrian court in Damascus has sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted former President Bashar al-Assad, to death on Tuesday. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan of the Fourth Criminal Court convicted the 46 year old of crimes against humanity and war crimes, specifically citing multiple murders accompanied by torture and brutality. The court also found that Wassim al-Assad formed armed groups that carried out deadly attacks near Damascus and targeted civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta, including the town of al-Mleiha. In addition to the death sentence, the court ordered the confiscation of his assets.

Wassim al-Assad was arrested in June 2025 upon his return from Lebanon. While he had been under United States and European sanctions for his alleged role in the global smuggling of the drug Captagon, the court found him not guilty of drug trafficking charges due to insufficient evidence. This ruling follows the sentencing of Bashar al-Assad, his brother Maher, and cousin Atef Najib to death in absentia last week. Bashar and Maher al-Assad currently live in exile in Russia, which has not agreed to their extradition.

The proceedings are part of a broader effort by the transitional government, led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, to hold members of the former regime accountable. The Syrian civil war, which began in 2011 after the regime violently suppressed pro-democracy protests, resulted in more than half a million deaths and the displacement of millions of people. The current government took power in December 2024 after fighters led by the HTS militia overthrew the Assad regime.