Rifaat Al-Assad, uncle of Syria’s ousted president, dies in exile
Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad and a controversial figure in the country’s modern history, has died at the age of 88 while living in exile, according to sources close to his family.
A longtime power broker within the Syrian regime, Rifaat al-Assad was the younger brother of former president Hafez al-Assad. He played a prominent role in Syria’s security apparatus during the 1970s and early 1980s, leading elite military units and exercising significant influence within the state.
His name has long been associated with one of the darkest episodes in Syria’s recent past, earning him international notoriety and legal scrutiny abroad. Following a failed power struggle with his brother in the mid-1980s, Rifaat al-Assad left Syria and spent decades abroad, mainly in Europe.
In later years, he faced multiple legal cases in foreign courts related to financial crimes and alleged human rights violations. After returning briefly to Syria in the early 2020s, he reportedly left the country again following the fall of his nephew’s rule, settling in the Gulf region.
His death closes a chapter in the history of the Assad family, whose influence shaped Syria’s political life for more than half a century.
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