Where is rami makhlouf

But a year later, when Hafez was ill with heart problems, Rifaat sent tanks from his paramilitary force onto the streets of Damascus in a bid to grab power.

The attempt failed. Rifaat's fate was not jail or death, but exile, along with millions of dollars. That might now be Rami Makhlouf's best option. Rami Makhlouf has been under severe pressure from a regime in which he was once a kingpin. He went public, posting videos and documents on Facebook to fight back in what is looking more and more like a losing battle. Defendants face Syria torture trial in Germany.

The other big stories eclipsed by coronavirus. Why has the Syrian war lasted 10 years? EU sanctions target Syria elite. US slaps sanctions on top Syrian.

Image source, AFP. Rami Makhlouf has posted three videos online in a month, complaining about his treatment. Why is there a war in Syria? Rare rebuke. Lavish lifestyles. Hand of Russia? Syriatel is Syria's biggest telecommunication company, with 11m subscribers. Another theory centres on relations with the Kremlin.

History of rifts. The family has a history of spectacular rifts. It has been a big fall. Related Topics. Syrian civil war Bashar al-Assad Syria. But victory on the battlefield has come at a cost. Inflation is rampant and many Syrians are struggling to afford even basics such as food and power. Eight in 10 people live below the poverty line in Syria, according to the United Nations. Syria has to pay for much of the Russian wheat it imports and for weaponry.

In recent months, a banking crisis in neighbouring Lebanon has cut off a vital source of dollars for the regime, worsening the economic shock and aggravating already strained money relations between Assad and Makhlouf.

On social media, they posted pictures, many since deleted, of fancy sports cars, a private jet and opulent homes. The camera zoomed in on the speedometer as he revved the engine. Another video showed him at a beach party on the Greek island of Mykonos. As the economy imploded, Assad became determined to bring home the billions of dollars held by Makhlouf in offshore companies, said more than a dozen sources.

The order, which was reviewed by Reuters, froze the assets of Makhlouf and his wife. Though he caved in the customs dispute, Makhlouf has resisted surrendering his vast holdings.

He told the president to seek dollars elsewhere, from other tycoons, said bankers and business associates familiar with the matter. Sources in Syria said people were arrested, sometimes released and then re-arrested.

A Damascus banker with knowledge of the matter said the employees were questioned about fund transfers to front companies set up by Makhlouf in the British Virgin Islands and Jersey.

The rift between Assad and Makhlouf burst into public view on April 30, when Makhlouf posted the first of three videos to social media. In the videos, he said the government had asked him to step down from his companies, including Syriatel. On May 19, , the finance ministry froze the assets of Makhlouf, his wife and an unspecified number of his at least two children, according to a document reviewed by Reuters.

Makhlouf insisted in one of his social media posts that he stands ready to pay. A separate order banned Makhlouf from obtaining government contracts for five years. As Makhlouf has fallen, others have stepped into his place. In fact, al-Akhbar , a Lebanese, pro-Syrian regime newspaper, reported that Russia attempted to step in to mediate a reconciliation deal between Makhlouf and the Assad family.

The newspaper said the deal failed for unknown reasons. In fact, the government has already appointed a legal custodian for Syriatel as a prelude for its seizer. This, added to the fact that Makhlouf been under U. The demise of Makhlouf will cause a shift in internal power dynamics of the regime.

Most recently, the Akhras family of Asma al-Assad has taken over most of the Syrian economy. Since , a new class of wealthy and powerful individuals has emerged in Syria, some of whom were later sanctioned by the U. The businessmen who survived sanctions find themselves in a better position when it comes to dealing with the regime.

These new faces, and especially the Akhras family, will follow the same tactics Makhlouf once used to gather immense wealth and power at the expense of the Syrian people and they will contribute to the ability of the regime to continue its ruthless war against the Syrian people.