Rifaat al-Assad

Rifaat Ali al-Assad (; 22 August 1937 – 20 January 2026) was a Syrian military officer and politician who was the Vice President of Syria from 1984 to 1998. He was the younger brother of the late President of Syria, Hafez al-Assad, and the uncle of former President Bashar al-Assad. He was known for being the commanding officer of the ground operations of the 1982 Hama massacre.

1984 coup attempt
He led the failed coup attempt against his borther Hafez al-Assad in 1984. Tens of thousands of soldiers with armored vehicles (some supported Rifaat, some supported Hafez) got together in the capital Damascus and were ready for a military fight. Because of the division within the military, the coup failed and as a compromise, Rifaat was made vice president.

However, after Rifaat became unhappy with the less powerful role as vice president, he chose to live in exile in Europe for 36 years and returned to Syria in October 2021.

Criminal charges
In 2021, he found guilty in France of getting millions of euros diverted from Syria. In September 2022, France's highest court, the Cour de Cassation, confirmed the ruling.

In August 2023, Switzerland sent out a warrant for Rifaat's arrest after its Federal Criminal Court wanted him to be prosecuted for his role in the 1982 Hama massacre. The warrant was issued as part of a set of war crimes charges filed in 2013 by the human rights organization "TRIAL International" at the Swiss Office of Attorney General. In March 2024, the Swiss OAG charged Rifaat with many crimes done in the February 1982 Hama massacre.

Later years
During the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Rifaat left for Lebanon before moving to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on 26 December. The next day, his daughter-in-law Rasha Khazem, the wife of his son Duraid Assad, was arrested along with her daughter Shams in Lebanon while they were trying to fly out to Egypt.

Rifaat died on 20 January 2026 in Dubai from problems caused by the influenza at the age of 88.

References

Other websites

Category:1937 births
Category:2026 deaths
Category:Syrian generals
Category:Vice presidents of Syria
Category:Deaths from influenza