The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus held its sixth session to pronounce the verdict in the case brought against the accused Wasim al-Assad, who was involved in multiple crimes against the Syrian people. The session was presided over by Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian, in the presence of several members of the National Commission for Transitional Justice and representatives from international legal and humanitarian organizations. The sentencing hearing for the defendant Wasim al-Assad came following the completion of all trial stages and judicial procedures related to the case.
اضافة اعلان
During the sentencing session, Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian affirmed that judicial investigations proved the involvement of the defendant Wasim al-Assad in forming irregular armed groups tasked by Brigadier General Ghiath Dalla. These groups targeted civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta and committed massacres against civilians, particularly in the town of Al-Mleiha. The judge explained that these actions resulted in mass killings and deliberate violations against the population.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian also stated that the court established beyond reasonable doubt the involvement of an armed group affiliated with the defendant in attacking a commercial shop in the town of Jaramana, looting its contents, and kidnapping its owner due to his opposition to the former regime. The judge noted that Wasim al-Assad and his groups were additionally involved in kidnappings and murders targeting Syrian citizens across multiple regions.
Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Arian announced the conviction of the defendant Wasim al-Assad on charges of premeditated and intentional murder of more than one person, as well as torture characterized as crimes against humanity and war crimes. Based on this conviction regarding the charges of premeditated murder and the torture of civilians, the Syrian Criminal Court decided to sentence the defendant Wasim al-Assad to death, along with the confiscation of all the convict’s movable and immovable assets in favor of the public treasury.
These rulings by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus follow the conclusion of all judicial and trial proceedings, in which the defendant was convicted of forming armed groups that carried out mass killings and tortured civilians. The proceedings of this sixth and final session to deliver the verdict were conducted in the presence of members of the National Commission for Transitional Justice and representatives of international legal and humanitarian organizations to monitor the final judicial decision issued by the court, following the explicit conviction of the defendant on all charges brought against him for committing these various crimes against the Syrian people.
