A Syrian court in Damascus sentenced Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted ruler Bashar al-Assad, to death on Tuesday after convicting him of crimes committed during the country's nearly 14-year war. The Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus issued the ruling, finding Wassim al-Assad guilty of premeditated murder and torture.

Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Aryan stated that Wassim al-Assad was convicted of multiple murders and "murder accompanied by torture and brutality... classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes." Footage showed Wassim al-Assad inside a defendant's cage in the courtroom as judges read out the sentence.

With this ruling, Wassim al-Assad becomes the first member of the al-Assad family to be sentenced in person. While Bashar al-Assad and his brother Maher al-Assad also face death sentences, they were sentenced in absentia as they live in exile in Russia.

Al Jazeera's Obaida Hitto, reporting from outside the courthouse in Damascus, called the in-person ruling against Wassim al-Assad "very significant." "Today Wassim al-Assad becomes the first member of the al-Assad family... to be tried and sentenced in person here in Syria," Hitto said.

Wassim al-Assad had faced international sanctions for drug trafficking and leading pro-regime paramilitary groups. He had faced charges including establishing and leading irregular armed groups since early 2011, and participating in military operations targeting civilian areas in Eastern Ghouta, particularly the town of al-Mleiha, resulting in many civilian deaths.

The court found him not guilty of drug trafficking charges, ruling there was insufficient evidence of his direct involvement. As part of Syria's transitional justice process, the country's judiciary has been prosecuting defendants accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Bashar al-Assad's rule.

Source: www.aljazeera.com