Former Syrian Vice President Rifaat Al-Assad, known as ‘Butcher of Hama,’ passes away at 88

Though he played a key role in Hafez al-Assad becoming the President of Syria in 1970, the brothers fell out in 1984. Rifaat al-Assad, who was the Second Vice President of Syria, launched a failed coup attempt in 1984, following which he had to flee the country.

Rifaat al-Assad lived in exile in Europe for nearly 40 years and only returned to Syria in 2021 to avoid being arrested in France on charges of embezzlement.

In 2020, a French court found him guilty of acquiring millions of euros’ worth of French property using funds diverted from the Syrian state, and sentenced him to four years in jail.

All of his property in France, estimated to be worth 100 million euros at the time, was ordered seized, as well as a property worth 29 million euros in London.

In 2000, following the death of his elder brother, Rifaat al-Assad had opposed the elevation of his son, Bashar al-Assad, as the next president, claiming that he was the legitimate successor.

Though Rifaat al-Assad returned to Syria in 2021, it was short-lived as he was once again forced to flee the country in 2024 when his nephew, President Bashar al-Assad, was ousted from power.

According to Reuters, Rifaat al-Assad had tried to escape via a Russian airbase but was denied entry and eventually crossed to Lebanon, carried over a river on the back of a close associate.