Wa s i m al‑Assad trial begins in Damascus for war crimes

The trial of Wa s i m al‑Assad, a cousin of former Syrian president Bashar al‑Assad, opened today at the Justice Palace in Damascus. The 45‑year‑old is charged with forming armed groups, drug trafficking, kidnappings, extortion and other crimes that prosecutors label as war crimes and crimes against humanity. Court documents allege he supplied weapons, ammunition, funding and logistical support to two militia units that operated in eastern Ghouta from 2011‑2018, causing many civilian deaths, and that he played a key role in the multinational Captagon drug trade worth billions of dollars.

Human‑rights observers and lawyers say the hearing is a landmark, marking the first criminal case against a member of the Assad family since the regime’s collapse. The Syrian Ministry of Justice ordered the live broadcast of the proceedings to be halted for witness safety. The case follows a series of trials of former regime officials that began in April, and follows Wa s i m al‑Assad’s arrest on 21 June 2025 during a security operation in the Homs‑Tartus area.