Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of Syria's overthrown president Bashar al-Assad, has died at the age of 88.
Modern.az reports that this was stated in a report by the “Reuters” agency.
Rifaat al-Assad died in the United Arab Emirates.
Rifaat al-Assad had been living in exile for a long time. He spent most of his exile in France. He returned to Syria in 2021, and after the overthrow of his nephew Bashar al-Assad, he fled the country again in 2024.
When Bashar's father, former president Hafez al-Assad, died in 2000, Rifaat al-Assad opposed the transfer of power to Bashar and declared himself the legitimate heir.
After Bashar al-Assad took over the presidency, his uncle had left the country.
When opposition protests engulfed Syria in 2011, Rifaat al-Assad spoke from abroad, urging his nephew to resign as soon as possible to prevent a civil war.
Later, Bashar al-Assad allowed his uncle to return home, which helped him avoid imprisonment in France. This was because France had accused Rifaat al-Assad of acquiring millions of euros worth of property using funds embezzled from the Syrian state.
After Bashar al-Assad was overthrown, Rifaat al-Assad fled the country via Lebanon.
Rifaat al-Assad became an influential figure in the Assad government when his brother came to power after the 1970 coup. He commanded the elite forces that suppressed the "Muslim Brotherhood" uprising in Hama in 1982. This uprising had been one of the most serious threats to Hafez al-Assad during his 30-year rule.
In March 2024, the Swiss Public Prosecutor's Office announced that it would prosecute Rifaat al-Assad for war crimes and crimes against humanity for his actions in Hama.
A.Qorxmaz
