US Sanctions Syrian Leader Bashar Al Assad's Father-In-Law

The US unveiled sanctions Monday against Bashar al-Assad's father-in-law, a day after the former Syrian president reportedly fled to Russia as rebels took over the capital Damascus.

Assad's abrupt departure brought to a spectacular end five decades of brutal rule by his clan over a country ravaged by one of the deadliest wars of the century.

He oversaw a crackdown on a pro-democracy movement that erupted in 2011, sparking a civil war that killed 500,000 people and forced half the country to flee their homes.

The Treasury Department announced in a statement that Fawaz al-Akhras was being designated for providing "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 was born in the Syrian city of Homs in September 1946, and is a dual Syrian and UK national, according to the Treasury's list of sanctioned individuals.

He trained as a cardiologist, and practised medicine in London, where his daughter Asma -- who is married to the toppled former president -- was born.

Akhras, whose registered address is an unassuming house in west London, was previously sanctioned by the US in 2020 along with Asma, his wife Sahar, and several other family members.

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