A criminal court in Syria’s capital, Damascus, began judicial proceedings on Wednesday against Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. He was arrested a year ago as part of the Syrian authorities’ campaign against former regime remnants and officials accused of various crimes against civilians.

What happened: Wassim appeared before the Fourth Criminal Court, which specializes in transitional justice cases involving drug trafficking, kidnapping, torture, and crimes against the Syrian people during the former Assad regime.

The Syrian Ministry of Justice broadcast the public trial via live stream on its social media platforms for a few minutes before ending the stream to protect witness testimony.

The judge presiding over the session read out the charges against Wassim, saying they amounted to war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is accused of forming and leading armed groups at the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011 under the supervision of the former Syrian military’s elite Fourth Division, which was headed by Maher al-Assad, the younger brother of the ousted president.