Who was Rifaat al-Assad, commander of Syria’s 1982 Hama massacre?

EXPLAINER

‘Butcher of Hama’ and erstwhile Syrian vice president, convicted of wealth laundering successful France and accused of warfare crimes successful Switzerland, has died astatine property 89.

Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of ousted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the erstwhile commandant of the paramilitary “Defence Companies” (Saraya al-Difa), has died successful the United Arab Emirates astatine the property of 89.

The Reuters quality bureau cited 2 sources confirming his decease connected January 21, 2026. Rifaat had reportedly fled from Beirut to Dubai pursuing the illness of the Assad authorities and the formation of his nephew to Russia successful December 2024.

Born successful Qardaha, northwestern Syria, successful 1937, Rifaat, a subordinate of the country’s Alawite minority, was a cardinal fig successful the constitution of the Assad family’s regularisation successful the 1970s. But helium fell retired with his brother, erstwhile President Hafez al-Assad, pursuing a failed coup effort successful the aboriginal 1980s.

Here is simply a little timeline of the main events during the beingness and vocation of the antheral known arsenic the “Butcher of Hama”.

The Hama massacre

Rifaat was notorious for his relation successful the 1982 crackdown connected the metropolis of Hama to suppress an uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood.

Commanding the Defence Companies – a unit of astir 40,000 soldiers autarkic of the regular service – Rifaat led a siege connected the metropolis that lasted astir a month. The cognition progressive dense shelling and crushed assaults.

According to a 2022 study by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, the run resulted successful astir 40,000 deaths, and 17,000 radical went missing. The battle destroyed full neighbourhoods, including 79 mosques and 3 churches.

In a 2011 televised interview, Rifaat denied work for the events, claiming helium “did not cognize Hama” and attributing the orders to his brother, Hafez.

A photograph taken successful 1984 shows precocious Syrian president Hafez al-Assad (R) with his youngest brother, Rifaat, left, astatine a subject ceremonial successful Damascus [AFP/HO]

Rifaat’s emergence to powerfulness – and a failed coup

Rifaat joined the Baath enactment successful 1952 and roseate done the subject ranks. He played a cardinal information relation successful the 1970 coup, which brought overthrew the erstwhile caput of state, Salah Jadid, and brought Hafez al-Assad to power.

In the precocious 1970s, arsenic the authorities faced interior opposition, Rifaat advocated for utmost measures. In a 1979 code astatine a Baath enactment congress, helium reportedly suggested “Stalinist” methods to purge absorption and projected closing mosques to curb “sectarian ideology”.

His power peaked successful the aboriginal 1980s, but tensions with his member were mounting. In November 1983, portion Hafez was ill, Rifaat attempted to prehend control, deploying his ain forces successful Damascus. The confrontation ended successful a standoff.

By 1984, Hafez had regained control. Rifaat was stripped of his command, appointed to the ceremonial station of vice president and sent into exile. Reports astatine the clip suggested helium received $200m from Libyan person Muammar Gaddafi arsenic portion of a colony to permission the country.

Exile and ineligible troubles

Rifaat spent the adjacent 36 years chiefly successful Europe, wherever helium faced aggregate ineligible challenges implicit the root of his wealth.

• France: In 2020, a French tribunal sentenced him to 4 years successful situation for wealth laundering and misappropriation of Syrian nationalist funds, confiscating existent property assets worthy an estimated $100m.
• Switzerland: In August 2023, the Swiss Federal Criminal Court issued an apprehension warrant for Rifaat for his alleged relation successful warfare crimes committed successful Hama successful 1982.
• Assets Frozen: Authorities successful the UK and Spain besides froze household assets and investigated him for illicit fiscal activities.

Return and death

To debar imprisonment successful France, Rifaat returned to Syria successful October 2021. Despite his erstwhile calls successful 2011 for Bashar al-Assad to measurement down, helium appeared voting for his nephew successful the May 2021 predetermination astatine the Syrian embassy successful Paris.

Following the autumn of the Assad authorities successful December 2024, Lebanese information officials reported that Rifaat had near Syria for Dubai, wherever helium passed distant successful January 2026.