French court upholds conviction of Assad's uncle in money laundering case

Al-Monitor Staff

Sep 9, 2021

Members of the Spanish Guardia civil stand near vehicles seized during a raid targeting assets of the family of Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in the Puerto Banus marina area of the plush resort of Marbella on April 4, 2017. The raids, a result of a corruption investigation launched in France against Assad's uncle, Rifaat al-Assad, have seen the assets of Rifaat al-Assad and his family in Spain valued at 691 million euros ($736 million) seized. — JORGE GUERRERO/AFP via Getty Images

The Paris Court of Appeals on Thursday confirmed the conviction of an exiled uncle of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad who last year was found guilty of money laundering and aggravated tax fraud.

French judges in June 2020 convicted Rifaat al-Assad, 84, of embezzling Syrian public funds to expand his vast property portfolio in France, where he now lives. Assad was sentenced to four years in prison, which Agence France-Presse reports he may not have to serve given his advanced age.