US sanctions father-in-law of ousted Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad
Fawaz al-Akhras targeted for supporting the former Syrian president’s financial dealings and attempts to evade sanctions
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 crack down 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 said 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”.
He trained as a cardiologist, and practised medicine in London, where his daughter Asma – who is married to the toppled former president – was born.