Syria issues death sentence to detained Assad cousin Wassim al-Assad

A Syrian court on Tuesday issued a death sentence to detainee Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad who was himself sentenced to death in absentia a week ago.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan said Wassim al-Assad was convicted of multiple murders and "murder accompanied by torture and brutality... classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes", adding that "he is therefore sentenced to death".

Last week, the same Syrian court sentenced ousted president Bashar al-Assad, former security chief Atef Najib and seven other former officials to death on Tuesday over the violent suppression of protests in Daraa at the start of the 2011 uprising.

The Damascus Criminal Court convicted the nine men of offences including intentional killing, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity.

Najib, who is in Syrian custody, was sentenced in person, while Assad and the remaining defendants were sentenced in absentia.

Those sentenced also included Assad’s brother Maher, former defence minister Fahd Jassem al-Freij, Mohammed Ayman Ayoush, Louay Ali al-Ali, Qusay Ibrahim Mahyoub, Wafiq Saleh Nasser and Talal Fares al-Issami.

Amnesty, however, criticised the trials, saying that they "should take place before ordinary civilian courts, with the participation of victims and without resorting to the death penalty", adding that they should also be part of a victim-centred process ensuring truth, justice and reparations.

In the same statement, the group also called on the government more generally to "abolish in absentia trials, end the use of the death penalty, criminalize core crimes covered by international law in domestic legislation, and undertake comprehensive judicial reform to ensure that all judicial proceedings fully respect fair-trial guarantees, international law, and international standards".