Two sources confirmed on Wednesday the death of Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, according to Reuters.
Rifaat al-Assad had long been the subject of recurring rumors regarding his health and death. In April 2025, several websites and social media accounts circulated reports claiming that he had died at a hospital in Paris.
At the time, those reports were publicly denied by his son, Sawar al-Assad, who posted a video on social media showing Rifaat al-Assad standing outdoors alongside two men. In the recording, Rifaat appeared in good health and was seen holding a copy of a daily Arabic newspaper, a move intended to refute the claims of his death.
Media reports later clarified that the video shared by his son dated back to September 16, 2017, during which Rifaat al-Assad dismissed those spreading rumors about his death, using dismissive language to criticize them.
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