DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Recently, the return of the uncle of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Rifaat al-Assad, has been the most prominent event.
Following the news of the issuance of sentencing him to imprisonment, Rifaat al-Assad, who was exiled years as an opponent to the rule of his nephew, has arrived in Damascus.
The surprising return of Rifaat al-Assad brought many old events to the surface again, some welcomed the return while others criticized and recalled stories and incidents of the past associated with his name, as it is the case with most issues in Syria.
Mere leaks
“There is no official comment on this return. So far, Syrian authorities did not comment except for a leaked news published in the pro-government newspaper al-Watan,” Riyad Badr, a pseudonym for a journalist specialized in political affairs, told North Press.
The Syrian President allowed his uncle’s return in order not to be imprisoned in France, after the Paris Court of Appeal confirmed a four-year prison sentence for money laundering imposed on Rifaat al-Assad, and the confiscation of a fortune estimated at 90 million euros, according to the newspaper.
This news, from the very beginning, was a clear message addressed to “those loyalists to the regime in Syria,” Badr added.
Previously, Rifaat al-Assad criticized the “regime and the president in person,” as the leaked news stressed that “Rifaat al-Assad will not have any political or social roles.”
Reactions differed between a strong opponent or a strong loyalist, and this was expressed even within the same family of Rifaat al-Assad in the two positions announced by sons of Rifaat, Duraid and Firas.
Meanwhile, some activists expressed their position on Facebook, some considered his return a “correct” decision since it is the president’s position, and some others asked how did Rifaat manage to escape a court ruling issued against him in France? Since he knows that in the end he will be wanted by the French judiciary.
It is worth mentioning that this step came days after rejoining Syrian government into network of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) giving the government new powers to pursue refugees and dissidents living outside the country.
On his part, the only son of the former Defense Minister Firas Tlass commented, saying, “The one who must fears and be concerned regarding the return is Asma al-Assad since Rifaat and his sons have returned with their ambitions for power, having some international ties, understanding of international relationships, and the most important thing is that they have deep relations with their cousin Maher al-Assad and with hundreds of officers in the Syrian coast.”
His opponent son
Meanwhile, the different positions of Rifaat al-Assads’ both sons, Duraid and Firas were the most remarkable positions in this event, where Firas, who is known for his opposing positions to his father and the Syrian government, said, “Rifaat al-Assad spent his night in Damascus, and the deal was executed between the intelligence services of Russia, France and the regime.”
On his part, Duraid al-Assad, who is known for his loyal stances and spoke on behalf of all his father’s family, said, “The family is aware of the nature of the deep love and devotion that the brother bore towards his brother (former President Hafez al-Assad), family, homeland, and people.”
“In the name of the family, and today, as we have always been, we stand by the side of Dr. Bashar Hafez al-Assad, with our devoted father supporting us, to strengthen him and always to be loyal to him, Syria and its people, to confront the enemies of our nation and the internal and external conspiracies,” he added.
It is noteworthy that Rifaat al-Assad, who was at the head of the Defense Brigades, left the country following a dispute over power with his brother, the former President Hafez al-Assad, that began in 1984, but the latter regained his strength and authority and stripped the strongman, Rifaat al-Assad, his powers.