Switzerland releases 3 million euros for al-Assad's cousin

Feb 10, 2012, 12:03 GMT

Bern - A senior Syrian intelligence official and cousin of President Bashar al-Assad got access to 3 million euros (4 million dollars) parked in Switzerland, despite sanctions against him and other Syrian leaders, news portal 20 Minuten reported Friday.

Hafiz Makhlouf, 41, is suspected of having been involved in violent crackdowns on demonstrators.

His lawyers successfully argued that he needed the money to settle a contract that pre-dated the Swiss sanctions from May 2011, the report said.

Prosecutors had tried to prevent the release of the deposits, as they suspected Makhlouf of money laundering.

Economic Ministry spokeswoman Marie Avet said the release of the money was an exceptional case and stressed that 'as a basic principle, Switzerland does not want to be a platform for transactions aimed at evading the law.'

Makhlouf's wealthy brother Rami is considered to be an important financier of al-Assad's regime.

The government in Bern has voluntarily adopted EU sanctions against 100 Syrians and Syrian companies and has blocked about 50 million Swiss francs (55 million dollars).

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