A Lebanese security source confirmed on Saturday that Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, left Lebanon via Beirut airport about a week ago, following the ousting of his nephew.
Rifaat al-Assad, 87, is facing charges by Swiss prosecutors for a series of crimes, including ordering "murders, acts of torture, inhumane treatment, and illegal detentions" during his time as an officer in the Syrian army.
His role in the infamous February 1982 massacre in Hama, which left between 10,000 and 40,000 dead, earned him the moniker "the Butcher of Hama."
According to the security source, Rifaat al-Assad arrived in Lebanon overland and "departed from Beirut airport normally, as there were no Interpol notices against him." The source added that he was not wanted by Lebanon's General Security agency, and no other arrest warrants had been issued. The source requested anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Rifaat al-Assad used a diplomatic passport for his departure, but his destination was not disclosed.
The source also mentioned that Bouthaina Shaaban, a former translator for the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad and a long-time political advisor to Bashar al-Assad, also passed through Beirut airport using a diplomatic passport.
A friend of Shaaban in Beirut previously told AFP that she fled to Lebanon during the night of December 7-8 and later traveled to Abu Dhabi.
Last month, Islamist-led rebels launched a swift offensive and captured the Syrian capital, Damascus, on December 8.
Rifaat al-Assad, a former vice president of Syria, went into exile in 1984 following a failed attempt to overthrow his brother, Hafez al-Assad. He later positioned himself as an opponent to his nephew, Bashar, who succeeded his father in 2000, living in Switzerland and later France.
In 2021, Rifaat al-Assad returned to Syria from France to avoid serving a four-year prison sentence for money laundering and embezzlement of Syrian public funds.
Earlier this month, Swiss media reported that the country's Federal Criminal Court was considering dropping charges against him related to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court cited his health problems, which reportedly prevent him from traveling and participating in his trial.
With AFP
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