“Ill-gotten gains” in Syria – Rifaat al-Assad

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borders

Why ill-gotten gains in Syria?

Sherpa recalls that any person accused or prosecuted by a national or international jurisdiction is presumed innocent until found guilty by a final court decision. In this respect, an appealable decision does not constitute a final decision.

In 1970, Hafez al-Assad took power in Syria in a coup and held it until his death in 2000. His son Bashar al-Assad succeeded him, maintaining the authoritarian regime based on a system combining corruption and nepotism. This system, as it exists, would have allowed the enrichment of many executives of the regime, including the uncle of Bashar al-Assad, Rifaat al-Assad.

Vice-president “in exile” of Syria from 1984 to 1998, Rifaat al-Assad was one of the central figures of the Assad clan. He was also the head of the Defense Brigades, elite forces that were allegedly involved in the bloody massacre in Hamah in 1982, whose number of victims was estimated by Amnesty International between 10,000 and 25,000. These facts are the subject of a war crime investigation in Switzerland, and could directly implicate Rifaat al-Assad.

Fallen from grace in 1984 after an aborted coup, Rifaat al-Assad, who nevertheless kept his title during his “exile”, found refuge in France where he was awarded the highest decoration of merit in 1986 (which he finally returned in 2022). During these years, the vice-president built up a sumptuous patrimony in France, which included real estate in Paris and Lyon, as well as a property in the Val-d’Oise.

Timeline

Key dates

  • 27 July 2011

    Complaint filed

    Filing of a complaint with Transparency International France targeting the movable and immovable property held in France by Riffat al-Assad and some twenty people. The complaint was dismissed.

  • 13 September 2013

    Complaint filed

    Sherpa and Transparency International France filed a second complaint against Rifaat al-Assad for concealment of stolen assets, corruption and aggravated money-laundering by organised group.

  • 30 September 2013

    Preliminary investigation launched

    Following the complaint filed by Sherpa and Transparency International France.

  • 6 February 2014

    Complaint filed

    A complaint accompanied by criminal indemnification is filed by Sherpa against Rifaat Al Assad.

  • 4 April 2014

    Preliminary investigation launched

    Following the different complaints.

  • 28 June 2016

    Rifaat al-Assad is indicted

    His assets in France, estimated at 600 million euros in France, are confiscated.

  • 17 June 2020

    Rifaat Al-Assad convicted in first instance

    The Paris court sentenced Rifaat Al-Assad to 4 years in prison in particular for organised laundering of embezzlement of public funds in Syria.

    Learn more
  • 9 September 2021

    Condemnation confirmed by Paris court of appeal

    The Court of Appeal confirmed the judgment, sentencing Rifaat Al-Assad to 4 years in prison and the confiscation of his assets located in France.

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  • 7 September 2022

    Condemnation confirmed by French highest court

    The French highest court confirmed the condemnation of Rifaat al-Assad to four years in prison for money laundering and embezzlement and the confiscation of his assets located in France.

    Learn more

Impact

Why initiate legal action?

Sherpa

The law is a tool of power in a globalised world. It underpins power relations and encourages impunity for the most powerful. Because of their transnational nature, or the political and economic stakes involved, many violations escape justice. Bringing cases before the courts means putting the debate back on a legal footing, giving a voice to the people affected and thus restoring the legal tool to social movements.

Sherpa

Thanks to the work of NGOs and journalists, the consequences of globalisation are increasingly being documented and denounced. Our legal actions make it possible to initiate an contentious proceedings, establish the facts and apply the rules of law to these situations. They also aim to provide practical solutions by putting a stop to violations, holding the players concerned responsible and/or enabling victims to obtain compensation.

Sherpa

In support of our advocacy and in parallel with our legal laboratory and capacity-sharing activities, our legal actions are designed to contribute to wider and lasting change. They fuel public debate to highlight the limits of the legal framework and the obstacles facing the victims of globalised capitalism. They set precedents that shape a more protective legal framework.

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