Rifaat al-Assad dies without facing trial for Hama atrocities

Rifaat al-Assad, former Syrian vice-president indicted in Switzerland for war crimes and crimes against humanity, reportedly died on 20 January 2026 in the United Arab Emirates, at the age of 88. Syrian plaintiffs had long hoped that he would stand trial in Switzerland for the infamous Hama massacre, but his death closes a significant chapter in their quest for justice. TRIAL International had repeatedly expressed concern about the length of the proceedings, which lasted more than a decade, and deeply regrets the outcome of this historic case. 

Information about the death of the “Butcher of Hama” has been widely reported today. A key figure of the Assad regime and uncle of former President Bashar al-Assad, Rifaat al-Assad returned to Syria in 2021 to avoid serving a four-year prison sentence in France for money laundering and misappropriation of Syrian public funds. He remained in the country until the fall of the Syrian regime in December 2024, after which – according to information disclosed today – he had fled to the United Arab Emirates.

Rifaat al-Assad’s death comes almost two years after his indictment by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), bringing an end to proceedings that had been stalled before the Federal Criminal Court by prolonged debates over his ability to stand trial.

The Swiss case was intended to examine his alleged criminal responsibility as the commander of the Defence Brigades for atrocities committed on the city of Hama launched on 2 February 1982 by Syrian government forces. The operation, aimed at suppressing an armed uprising against the regime, lasted nearly a month, during which civilians were trapped inside the city; between 10,000 and 40,000 civilians are reported to have been killed, while countless others were tortured and forcibly disappeared.

“Today is a deeply unjust day. We have been fighting since 2013 for justice to be done. Even so, the proceedings made it possible to achieve important objectives, including the issuance of an arrest warrant and his indictment for what he did to the people of Hama,” said a Syrian plaintiff in the Swiss proceedings.

Despite repeated calls by TRIAL International to proceed urgently in light of the advanced age of the parties, the case will now be unheard, and Syrian victims’ questions will remain unanswered.

This abrupt end to the legal proceedings echoes another universal jurisdiction case opened in Switzerland: that of Khaled Nezzar, former Algerian defence minister. His case, like that of Rifaat al-Assad, concerned war crimes and crimes against humanity, was also closed following the death of the accused, after more than a decade long investigation. Together, these cases illustrate the severe delays that continue to hinder proceedings for international crimes in Switzerland, undermining victims’ access to justice.

Benoit Meystre, Legal Advisor at TRIAL International, expressed profound disappointment: “These cases were historic not only because they sought justice for massive crimes committed in Syria and Algeria, but also because they represented a broader effort to challenge the pervasive impunity in both countries, where countless victims have waited decades for accountability.”

TRIAL International urgently calls on Switzerland to provide its investigating and prosecuting authorities with the resources and safeguards necessary to ensure that such cases are handled efficiently and without unnecessary delay.