The United States on Monday announced sanctions against Fawaz al-Akhras, the father-in-law of former Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, a day after Assad reportedly fled to Russia following the rebel takeover of Damascus.
The US Treasury Department said in a statement quoted by AFP that Akhras was being sanctioned for his role in “support and facilitation to Bashar Al-Assad related to financial matters, sanctions evasion, and attempts by Bashar al-Assad to achieve international political engagement.”
Akhras, born in Homs, Syria, in September 1946, holds both Syrian and British citizenship, according to the Treasury’s sanctions list.
He trained as a cardiologist and practiced medicine in London, where his daughter Asma, Assad’s wife, was born.
Akhras’ registered address is a modest house in west London. He had previously been sanctioned by the US in 2020, alongside Asma, his wife Sahar, and other members of the family.
In 2012, as Assad launched a brutal crackdown on anti-regime protesters, Akhras reportedly said he was “horrified” by his son-in-law’s actions and expressed concern for the welfare of his daughter.