Syria's Rifaat al-Assad dies at 88 in UAE

DUBAI,— Rifaat al-Assad, the younger brother of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and a controversial figure known for his role in crushing a 1982 uprising in Hama, has died at the age of 88.

He passed away in the United Arab Emirates, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters.

A former army officer, Rifaat was instrumental in helping Hafez al-Assad seize power in a 1970 coup that brought the Assad family to the center of Syrian politics.

He later commanded elite forces that violently suppressed the Muslim Brotherhood-led revolt in Hama, an operation that left thousands dead and remains a defining moment of his career.

Rifaat, who spent decades in exile mostly in France, returned to Syria in 2021 but fled again in 2024 following the removal of his nephew, President Bashar al-Assad.

During his time abroad, Rifaat continued to maintain political ambitions, once declaring himself the legitimate successor after Hafez’s death in 2000, challenging Bashar’s rise to the presidency.

He commented from exile during Syria’s 2011 uprising, urging Bashar al-Assad to step down to prevent a full-scale civil war, while also attributing the revolt to a series of missteps by the government rather than solely to Bashar’s leadership.

Rifaat’s return in 2021 followed a period of legal troubles in Europe. French courts convicted him in 2020 of acquiring millions of euros in property using diverted Syrian state funds, sentencing him to four years in prison.

His assets in France and a property in London were seized, though he consistently denied the allegations.

Following Bashar’s ouster in 2024, Rifaat attempted to escape Syria through a Russian airbase but was denied entry, eventually crossing into Lebanon with the help of an associate who carried him across a river, sources told.

In December 2024, Rifaat al-Assad flew from Beirut to Dubai, according to two Lebanese security officials.

Born in the village of Qardaha in the coastal mountains of Syria, Rifaat belonged to the Alawite minority that formed the backbone of Assad power. He became one of the regime’s most powerful figures after the 1970 coup.

His leadership of the forces that crushed the Hama uprising in 1982, which lasted three weeks, resulted in more than 10,000 deaths according to historical accounts.

Independent monitoring group Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) later estimated that between 30,000 and 40,000 civilians were killed in Hama.

In 2024, Swiss authorities announced plans to put Rifaat on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the assault. Swiss prosecutors’ indictment listed between 3,000 and 60,000 casualties, mainly civilians. Rifaat’s lawyers denied any involvement.

Rifaat’s influence in the regime grew after the Hama events, and he was appointed vice president in 1984. His ambitions, however, clashed with Hafez al-Assad.

In 1984, Rifaat deployed forces to key points in Damascus, prompting a confrontation that could have escalated into civil war, but Hafez managed to defuse the situation. Following the failed attempt to assert power, Rifaat left Syria for Europe.

In exile, he established himself as a wealthy businessman, living in Switzerland, France, and Spain. He was often seen in Marbella’s Puerto Banus, where he owned seaside property, always accompanied by security. His wealth drew international scrutiny, resulting in legal battles in France.

Rifaat briefly returned to Syria in 1992 for his mother’s funeral. In 2021, a pro-government outlet reported that he returned to avoid imprisonment in France and would take no political or social role. A social media photo in April 2023 showed him alongside Bashar al-Assad.

Rifaat al-Assad’s life reflected the volatile politics of Syria over the past half-century, marked by power struggles, exile, and controversy surrounding human rights abuses.

(With files from Reuters)