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

Al JazeeraEN 2 min read 100% complete by Mohammad MansourJanuary 21, 2026 at 05:28 PM

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Rifaat al-Assad, uncle of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and commander of the Defence Companies, died in the United Arab Emirates on January 21, 2026, at age 89. Born in Syria in 1937, he was a key figure in establishing the Assad family's rule but later fell out with his brother, Hafez al-Assad. Rifaat was known as the "Butcher of Hama" for his role in the 1982 Hama massacre, where his forces suppressed a Muslim Brotherhood uprising, resulting in approximately 40,000 deaths and widespread destruction. In later years, he faced accusations of war crimes in Switzerland and was convicted of money laundering in France. He reportedly fled to Dubai after the collapse of the Assad regime in 2024.