Syria Sentences Wassim al-Assad to Death for War Crimes

Syria has sentenced the former al-Assad regime figure Wassim al-Assad to death for crimes that include premeditated murder and torture during the country’s 14-year war. His sentence on Tuesday was handed down one week after former President Bashar al-Assad; his younger brother, Maher al-Assad; and cousin Atef Najib were also sentenced to death. [...] The trial, which began in April, has been viewed as a test of Syria’s transitional justice system and of the new authorities’ willingness to prosecute al-Assad‑era officials for abuses committed under his rule.