Wassim al-Assad, the cousin of Bashar al-Assad, has been sentenced to death by a court in Syria

The criminal court in Damascus has sentenced Wassim al-Assad, the cousin of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, to death for multiple crimes committed during the Syrian civil war.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that Wassim al-Assad was found guilty of murders associated with torture and acts of cruelty. This conviction holds symbolic significance in the context of the justice process in Syria, being the first time a member of the Assad family is tried and convicted on the territory of the country.

One week prior, Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher were sentenced to death in absentia, as they are in exile in Russia. Wassim al-Assad was accused of leading paramilitary groups and participating in military operations against civilians, but he was acquitted of drug trafficking charges due to lack of evidence.

His conviction fits into the efforts of judicial authorities to pursue individuals accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the context of the political transition in Syria.