Wassim al-Assad sentenced to death in Syria war-crimes trial amid transitional justice push
Damascus's Fourth Criminal Court sentenced Wassim al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad's cousin, to death for murder, torture and other war crimes linked to the Eastern Ghouta siege; the verdict also saw Bashar, Maher, and Atef Najib receive death sentences in what Syria calls a transitional justice effort. Wassim, arrested in 2025, was accused of leading pro-regime paramilitary groups and killings of civilians; he was found guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes, cleared of drug-trafficking, and his assets were confiscated.
