Syria's ruling Assad family liquidate multi-million-pound property empire

A multi-million-pound property empire that includes flats and houses in London is being sold off and turned into hard cash by members of Syria's ruling Assad family, it has emerged.

Properties include a 10 million pounds town house in Mayfair bought by Rifaat al-Assad, the so-called Butcher of Hama, who is accused of leading a massacre of up to 40,000 people 30 years ago.

His nephew, Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, is leading a ruthless and bloody campaign against pro-democracy campaigners. The UN human rights office on Thursday raised the tally of people killed during seven months of unrest to more than 2,900.

The sale of the property empire suggests that the Assads are liquidating their assets in case the regime is forced from power. London property belonging to the toppled dictators Colonel Muammar Gaddafi of Libya, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia, was seized soon after they fell.

According to the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, Rifaat, Bashar al-Assad's uncle, "has sold off his huge property portfolio in the United States, London, Spain and France", with the clan wanting to "liquidate their overseas homes as quickly as possible". The sales were reportedly being carried out by two of Rifaat's wives, as well as his children.

The magazine has obtained bank documents confirming the transactions.