BBC The World Tonight

Cousin of Bashar al-Assad condemned to death

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A court in Damascus has handed down a death sentence to Wassim al-Assad, a cousin of deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad. Wassim, an enforcer for the former regime, was found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The verdict is of symbolic importance in Syria as it is the first conviction of a member of the Assad family still in the country. 

Also on the programme: 29 US states seek damages from the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, Meta, in a case that could change social media as we know it; and we speak to music video director Tim Pope, about his work and what it was like to dress Freddie Mercury as a prawn.
18 Aug 6PM English United Kingdom TV & Film

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