Rifaat al-Assad, brother of the former President Hafez al-Assad and notorious among critics as the “Butcher of Hama” for his brutal suppression of a 1982 Islamist uprising, passed away on Tuesday.
He was 88 years old at the time of his death, which took place in the United Arab Emirates, as confirmed by two sources familiar with the situation.
An ex-army officer, Rifaat seized control of Hafez’s government during a coup in 1970, playing a key role in establishing its strict regime. Even during his years in exile, mainly in France, he seemed to hold onto aspirations of becoming president.
He returned to Syria in 2021 but left once more in 2024 after his nephew, President Bashar al-Assad, was ousted.
Following Hafez’s death in 2000, Rifaat opposed the succession of Bashar, claiming he was the true heir, a challenge that ultimately fell flat.
When the Syrian uprising began in 2011, he again spoke from abroad, urging Bashar to resign quickly to avert civil war. He, however, suggested that the uprising stemmed from accumulated errors rather than blaming his nephew directly.
More than a decade later, Bashar, still clinging to power, facilitated Rifaat’s return to Syria, helping him escape from a French prison where he had been convicted for utilizing misappropriated state funds to buy property worth millions of euros.
As the regime collapsed, one source stated that Rifaat attempted to flee through a Russian air base but was denied entry; he eventually managed to cross into Lebanon with the help of an aide.
Hama Assault
Rifaat, born in the Alawite stronghold of Qardaha, rose to prominence in the Assad regime after the 1970 coup.
He led forces that crushed the Muslim Brotherhood uprising in Hama in 1982—one of the most significant threats to Hafez’s regime—resulting in massive casualties, with estimates of over 10,000 dead. This brutal approach shaped Bashar’s response to later uprisings.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights claimed in 2022 that civilian deaths in Hama ranged between 30,000 and 40,000, according to their estimates.
In March 2024, Switzerland’s Attorney General announced plans to prosecute Rifaat for war crimes associated with the Hama actions, citing accusations of killing between 3,000 and 60,000 people, largely civilians. His legal representative responded by asserting his client’s denial of any involvement in those alleged crimes.
Confrontation with Hafez
Rifaat’s role in quelling the Hama uprising significantly enhanced his stature within the regime.
Journalist Patrick Seale indicated in his book that Rifaat’s defeat of the Brotherhood contributed to the regime’s leaders considering him as a successor when Hafez’s health began to decline in 1983.
Subsequently, he was promoted to vice president.
As Hafez’s health worsened, Rifaat began pushing for a regime change. His actions caused unease for Hafez, especially as images of him appeared around Damascus. When Hafez eventually recovered, Rifaat’s demands had stirred considerable discomfort.
The conflict reached a peak in 1984 when Rifaat commanded the military to seize strategic locations in Damascus, leading to the risk of a violent confrontation. However, Hafez intervened and curtailed his brother’s aggression.
Following this failed coup, Rifaat left Syria.
Avoiding Prison
Establishing himself as a prosperous businessman, he first settled in Geneva, then moved to both France and Spain.
In his later years, he was often seen accompanied by bodyguards in Puerto Banus, Spain, where he owned coastal property.
However, his wealth drew scrutiny, prompting corruption investigations.
In 2020, a French court convicted him for using misappropriated funds to buy real estate in France, giving him a four-year prison sentence and confiscating properties valued at around 100 million euros in France and an additional 29 million euros in London.
He consistently denied these allegations.
This was not Rifaat’s first visit to Syria since the coup attempt; he had returned for his mother’s funeral in 1992.
It was suggested by a pro-government paper that his return in 2021 was primarily to escape imprisonment in France, indicating he would not engage in any political or social activities.
In April 2023, a photograph showed him smiling among a group that included Bashar.
