[DAMASCUS] Syrian prosecutors have requested the death penalty for Wassim Assad, a cousin of former President Bashar Assad, during the third hearing of his trial before the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus. Prosecutors said evidence and witness testimony establish his involvement in premeditated murder, drug trafficking, and crimes against state security and civil peace.
In a statement, Syria’s National Transitional Justice Commission said prosecutors had sought the “maximum penalty” against Assad after presenting evidence and testimony supporting the charges.
A source at Syria’s Justice Ministry, who spoke to The Media Line on condition of anonymity, said Wassim Assad’s trial is part of the country’s broader transitional justice process aimed at holding senior figures from the former Assad regime accountable.
The source said Wassim Assad is among the most prominent figures currently facing prosecution, alongside Atef Najib, the former head of Political Security in Daraa, who is accused of responsibility for the crackdown that preceded the 2011 protests that sparked the uprising against Bashar Assad, and former Grand Mufti Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun.
According to the source, the session in which prosecutors requested the death penalty was held behind closed doors and focused on testimony from prosecution witnesses, who presented evidence before the court as part of the judicial proceedings.
Assad and his defense team denied all charges against him and appealed to the court for “mercy and justice,” according to a statement issued by the National Transitional Justice Commission.
The hearing was presided over by Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan and attended by representatives of local and international human rights organizations. After hearing testimony from prosecution witnesses, the court adjourned proceedings until July 29 to continue the trial.
Assad faces charges of organizing and leading irregular armed groups under the direction of Brig. Gen. Ghiath Dalla, a senior commander in the former regime’s Fourth Division, led by Maher Assad. He is also accused of participating in military operations targeting civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta, particularly the town of Mleiha, which prosecutors say resulted in the deaths of civilians.
The charges further include involvement in drug trafficking, as well as offenses against state security and civil peace. His defense team denies all allegations.
During the previous hearing on July 15, the court heard testimony from prosecution witnesses and reviewed documents, photographs, and video recordings submitted as evidence.
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced on June 21, 2025, that Assad had been arrested in a security operation near the Syrian-Lebanese border, carried out in coordination with the General Intelligence Directorate. He was subsequently referred to the judiciary in one of the highest-profile cases involving a member of the Assad family since the fall of the former regime.
