Damascus, Aug. 18 (SANA) The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of head of the ousted regime Bashar al-Assad, to death on Tuesday after convicting him of intentional killings and acts of torture constituting crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Head of the court Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said investigations established that al-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.
Al-Aryan said the court established beyond doubt that an armed group affiliated with al-Assad attacked a shop in Jaramana, stole its contents and abducted its owner because of his opposition to the ousted regime. The group was also involved in abducting and killing Syrian citizens in several areas.
The court convicted al-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 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.
R A H / M.F
