Syria hands death sentence to Bashar al-Assad's detained cousin in latest ruling

Syria hands death sentence to Bashar al-Assad's detained cousin in latest ruling A cousin of overthrown long-time Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad, Wassim-ul-Assad has been sentenced to death by a Syrian court for crimes against humanity. On Tuesday, August 18, the court issued a death sentence for Assad's cousin, who was convicted of multiple murders and murder accompanied by torture and brutality. Court ruling against Wassim al-Assad The verdict was issued during the sixth trial hearing against Wassim, who faced several charges, including forming and running irregular armed groups from early 2011 under orders from Brig. Gen. Ghiath Dalla, a brigade commander in the Fourth Division, which was led by Assad's brother Maher. He was arrested by Syrian security forces on June 21, 2025, near the Syrian-Lebanese border. His trial began on June 24. Bashar al-Assad's death sentence The latest ruling came a week after Bashar al-Assad was himself sentenced to death in absentia, after being convicted of atrocities committed during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war. Bashar al-Assad It was the first such ruling under Syria's transitional leaders who ousted Assad in December 2024. The court also sentenced six former military and security officials in absentia to death, including Maher, who ran the army's elite Fourth Division and also fled the country. Others who were convicted included former defence minister Fahd al-Freij and Louay al-Ali, who headed military intelligence in Daraa province in 2011. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Wassim al-Assad was convicted of multiple murders and "murder accompanied by torture and brutality... classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes", adding that "he is therefore sentenced to death". Wassim al-Assad Syria's uprising began in Daraa in March 2011, after 15 students were arrested for allegedly writing anti-government slogans on the city's walls. Residents said the students were tortured, leading to a protest to demand their release that ended in bloodshed. Bashar al-Assad took the Syrian presidency in 2000 after the death of his father Hafez. He fled to Russia on December 8, 2024, ending the Baath Party's decades-long rule that began in 1963. A transitional administration led by President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formed in January 2025.