Death Sentence Issued for Waseem Al-Asad

- Convicted of charges of intentional murder and torture of civilians

The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus handed down an execution sentence today against Waseem al-Assad, convicting him of committing murder and torture against Syrian citizens, as well as crimes the court described as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Presiding over the sentencing session was Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan, in the presence of several members of the National Transitional Justice Authority and representatives of international legal and humanitarian organizations.

The court clarified that investigations had established Waseem al-Assad’s involvement in forming irregular armed groups under the orders of Brigadier General Ghayath Dala, which targeted civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta and committed massacres against civilians, particularly in the town of Mleha.

It added that evidence presented before the court proved the involvement of an armed group affiliated with the defendant in an attack on a commercial establishment in the town of Jarmana, the theft of its contents, and the abduction of its owner due to his opposition to the former regime, alongside involvement in abduction and murder operations against Syrian citizens in several areas.

The court noted that Waseem al-Assad was convicted of the felony of intentional and premeditated murder of multiple persons, and of committing acts of torture, considering these acts to be crimes against humanity and war crimes.