The wife and daughter of a cousin of deposed Syrian president Bashar Assad were detained at Beirut airport after attempting to depart with allegedly forged passports, according to Lebanese judicial and security sources. Rasha Khazem, spouse of Duraid Assad—the son of Bashar’s uncle Rifaat Assad—and their daughter Shams, had reportedly been smuggled into Lebanon illegally and were attempting to fly to Egypt when apprehended by Lebanese General Security. Rifaat Assad, who left Lebanon a day earlier using his legitimate passport, was not detained.
Swiss prosecutors have charged Rifaat Assad with war crimes and crimes against humanity, with accusations stemming from orders to murder and torture in Syria, earning him the moniker “Butcher of Hama” for leading the artillery attack on the city of Hama that resulted in thousands of deaths. Following the fall of the Assad regime, tens of thousands of Syrians, including members of the former Syrian Army’s 4th Division and military intelligence, reportedly fled illegally to Lebanon. Some were arrested while attempting to sell weapons.
Lebanese authorities received an Interpol notice requesting the arrest of Jamil al-Hassan, who served as the head of Syrian intelligence under Assad. Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has indicated a willingness to cooperate with the Interpol request.
