Properties Controlled by Assad’s Uncle Seized in European Laundering Inquiry
A Spanish judge, José de la Mata Amaya, ordered the seizure of properties in Spain
that are controlled by Rifaat al-Assad or his family and are worth 691 million euros, or about $736 million.
In a news release, Spain’s National Court called the assets "a fortune from the coffers of the Syrian state." "In the 1980s, his brother and then-president expelled him from the country, fearing
that he would organize a coup," the court said, referring to Rifaat al-Assad.
The investigation carried out by the French judicial authorities led to the conclusion
that this fortune, embezzled from public funds, was used for personal gain and to the detriment of the Syrian state." Please verify you’re not a robot by clicking the box.
In December, in cooperation with other European Union countries, the Spanish authorities found
that Mr. Assad had holdings in his name in Spain that were registered under entities controlled by relatives, including two of his children and a wife.
By MARK A. WALSHAPRIL 4, 2017
LONDON — Rifaat al-Assad, an uncle of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria, was named on Tuesday in a European money laundering investigation.
The laundering investigation, carried out jointly by France and Spain, asserts
that Hafez al-Assad looted the Syrian Treasury to pay off his brother and, possibly, to keep him from meddling in the country’s affairs.