Syria’s Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted president Bashar al-Assad, to death on Tuesday for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian said the court found him guilty of premeditated murder, torture and multiple killings. The court classified the offences as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Wassim al-Assad was present in the defendants’ dock when the verdict was announced. The report described the ruling as the first trial and sentencing of an Assad family member while present on Syrian soil. Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher had previously received death sentences in absentia because they were in exile in Russia. Al Jazeera reporter Obaida Hitto called the verdict highly significant, while political science teacher Jamal Mansour described it as a day of pride for Syrians.

Wassim was arrested after returning to Syria from Lebanon in June 2025. He faced allegations of forming and leading pro-government armed groups, kidnappings and killings, and involvement in military operations in civilian areas of Eastern Ghouta. The court acquitted him of drug-trafficking allegations, citing insufficient evidence of direct involvement, and ordered the confiscation of his assets. The cases are part of Syria’s broader transitional justice process.