The trial of Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, began on Wednesday at the Palace of Justice in Damascus, marking the first court case involving a member of the al-Assad family since the fall of the former regime.
He faces charges of forming armed groups, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and extortion, according to the court. Lawyers and observers in Syria view the trial as highly significant.
Legal proceedings are currently underway in Syria against officials from the former Assad government. These include Atef Najib, another cousin of the ousted president. Najib, the former security chief of the southern city of Daraa, faces charges of crimes against the Syrian people, including "systematic mass murder" and arbitrary arrests.
For years, Wassim al-Assad was considered a central figure in the Syrian government's criminal and paramilitary networks. He played a key role in the violent suppression of the opposition and - according to international investigators - rose to become one of the most influential masterminds behind the multi-billion-dollar global Captagon drug trade, a role that led the United States and the European Union to impose severe sanctions on him.
Syrian lawyer Tarek Abdullah told dpa that the attendance of representatives from human rights organizations and other observers at the trial demonstrates the public and legal nature of the proceedings.
However, he noted that the Ministry of Justice ordered the suspension of the live broadcast during the hearing at the request of witnesses and to ensure their safety.
The Syrian Interior Ministry announced on June 21, 2025, that Wassim al-Assad had been arrested in what it described as a carefully planned security operation after being lured to an area between the provinces of Homs and Tartus.
Interior Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din al-Baba said the charges are supported by documents and evidence directly linking him to the alleged crimes.
The court adjourned the trial until the middle of next month.
