Lebanese authorities say wife, daughter of Duraid al-Assad detained at Beirut Airport for carrying forged Syrian passports
Lebanese security forces on Friday arrested the wife and daughter of Duraid al-Assad, the son of Rifaat al-Assad and nephew of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, at Beirut's Rafic Hariri International Airport, local media reported.
Outlets including An-Nahar and Al-Jadeed reported that the two women, whose names have not been disclosed, were detained while attempting to leave the country. The arrests were reportedly made under a judicial order for their possession of forged Syrian passports.
As of yet, Lebanese authorities have not issued an official statement on the arrest. It remains unclear whether the women were residing in Lebanon or had recently entered the country following the fall of Assad's regime.
Last week, Lebanese Interior Minister Bassam Mawlawi ordered the distribution of wanted persons' photos from the former Syrian regime at the Beirut Airport. However, it is not confirmed if the detained women were on the list.
Rifaat al-Assad, 86, a former vice president under his brother Hafez al-Assad, has faced international charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder and torture, committed more than four decades ago.
He attempted to seize power in 1984 during Hafez's illness but failed, subsequently exiling himself to France.
In 2021, Rifaat was convicted in France for corruption and the illegal use of Syrian state funds, receiving a four-year prison sentence.
That same year, pro-Assad media claimed he returned to Damascus under Bashar al-Assad's permission, reportedly out of “forgiveness.” Rifaat's current whereabouts are unknown.
Bashar al-Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party's regime, which had been in power since 1963.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
