ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - A Syrian court on Wednesday opened the second hearing in the trial of Bashar al-Assad’s cousin, Wassim al-Assad, who is accused of drug trafficking, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Wassim al-Assad’s indictment during his first trial in June included involvement in military operations that targeted civilians, including one in eastern Ghouta where a large number of civilians were killed, and another murder in Rif Dimashq’s Jaramana.

In January 2013, a gas station in Eastern Ghouta’s town of al-Mleiha was bombed and later attacked by militias, killing around 70 civilians, according to a report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, with Assad having been accused of involvement in the killings.

During the same year Bashar’s regime carried out a chemical attack on Ghouta, “killing many children, women, and men,” according to the Open Society Justice Initiative, adding, “The chemical attacks resulted in more than a thousand deaths and thousands of serious injuries.”

Wassim al-Assad is also accused of managing and forming irregular armed groups, drug trafficking, robbery, and extortion. The judge chairing the first session said the accusations fall “under war crimes” and “crimes against humanity.”

The second hearing saw witness testimonies, documents, pictures, and videos implicating Assad in the crimes, according to state media, adding that his next hearing is set for July 22.

In 2023, the US Treasury sanctioned him, citing his role in “leading the Ba’ath Brigades militia, a paramilitary unit under the Syrian Arab Army’s command,” publicly calling for the formation of sectarian militias, and being a “key figure in the regional drug trafficking network, partnering with high-level suppliers to smuggle contraband, Captagon, and other drugs throughout the region.”

The European Union also sanctioned him and other members of the Assad family for the drug trade and cross-border money laundering.

Before Bashar al-Assad was toppled by a group of rebels spearheaded by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by now-President Ahmed al-Sharaa, in December 2024, Captagon production could have been in the millions of tablets, the UN said in December, stressing that it could sustain the supply in the region for a couple of years if not intercepted.

The new Syrian authorities frequently intercept Captagon shipments, while regional countries have renewed joint efforts to curb smuggling.

Wassim has long been accused of being a top figure in the manufacturing and trade of narcotics, allegedly using the funds to support the regime.

Following his arrest, photos posted on his social media emerged, showing him with notorious Lebanese drug lord Noah Zeiter.

Lebanese drug baron Noah Zeiter (wearing red cap) with Wassim al-Assad (taking picture) Photo: Social media

Wassim’s trial is part of a broader effort to bring former regime officials to justice, with several other trials held since they took power.

Bashar al-Assad, however, fled to Russia during the offensive that toppled his government, and has not made any public appearances in exile.