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Death penalty sought in Damascus
The Syrian Public Prosecution requested the death penalty for Wasim al-Assad, cousin of deposed president Bashar al-Assad, during his third court appearance before the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus on Wednesday, 22 July.
“requested the maximum penalty—the death sentence—for Wasim al-Assad”
The prosecution said the demand for capital punishment was based on evidence presented to the court, witness testimonies, and confirmed charges including premeditated murder, large-scale drug trafficking and promotion, and acts undermining national security and civil peace.
Wasim al-Assad denied all charges and appealed to the bench for clemency and a fair judicial process, while the court adjourned proceedings until 29 July for final review and sentencing.
The hearing took place behind closed doors at the Palace of Justice in Damascus, with the judicial panel chaired by Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian and Judge Omar Mahmoud al-Radi representing the Public Prosecution.
Witness phase and defense denials
Multiple reports said the third session was devoted to hearing public-prosecution witnesses, with testimonies delivered in the presence of the defendant as part of formal evidentiary procedures.
The Syrian Observer described the bench as focusing on testimony from state witnesses, while the session was chaired by Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian with Counselors Abdul Hamid Mohammad al-Hamoud and Hussam Hussein Abdul Rahman.
Wasim al-Assad and his defense team reiterated their previous arguments and denied all charges, with one report stating the defense team renewed its denial and appealed for mercy and justice.
The court set July 29 for the next session, after the first session on 24 June involved the formal reading of the indictment and the second session on 15 July was dedicated to witness testimony and review of documentary evidence, photographs, and video recordings.
Transitional justice and broader cases
The trial was framed as part of a wider transitional justice process aimed at holding senior figures of the former Syrian regime accountable, with the proceedings against Wasim al-Assad described alongside other judicial actions.
“part of a wider transitional justice framework aimed at holding senior figures”
The Syrian Observer said other prominent individuals facing judicial action include Atef Najib, former head of the Political Security branch in Daraa, and Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, the former Grand Mufti, while the Ministry of Justice stressed that trials are conducted under legal guarantees for due process and rule of law.
In the indictment described by multiple sources, Wasim al-Assad faces charges tied to forming armed militias affiliated with the former regime’s 4th Armored Division and involvement in extensive narcotics trafficking, as well as participation in military operations targeting civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta, especially the town of Al-Malihah.
The court also held a sixth session to consider the case brought against Atef Najib, and the next step in Wasim al-Assad’s case is the July 29 pronouncement of the verdict after the third session’s witness testimony.