A Syrian court on Tuesday issued a death sentence to detainee Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad who was himself sentenced to death in absentia a week ago. 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". The judge said investigations established that Assad was involved in forming irregular armed groups at the direction of Brig. Gen. Ghiath Dalla. The groups targeted civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta and committed massacres, particularly in Al-Malihah, reported the state news agency SANA. Al-Aryan said the court established beyond doubt that an armed group affiliated with Assad attacked a shop in Jaramana, stole its contents and abducted its owner because of his opposition to the former regime. The group was also involved in abducting and killing Syrian citizens in several areas. The court convicted Assad of intentionally killing more than one person and acts of torture constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes. It also ordered the confiscation of his movable and immovable assets in favor of the public treasury. The verdict was delivered at the court’s sixth hearing after the completion of all stages of the trial and related judicial proceedings. Members of the National Authority for Transitional Justice and representatives of international legal and humanitarian organizations attended. The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus had also sentenced ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad and several former officials to death on August 11 after convicting them of crimes including premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity.
