From the Hama massacre to a Puerto Banús hideaway

There could be better places to hide than Puerto Banús, which is known as a place where people go to be seen. However, despite his aversion to photographers, that is where Rifaat al-Assad decided to call home for much of the year, when he was not in Paris or London.

Born in 1937, he moved to Marbella in 1986, two years after his brother, then president of Syria, sent him into a comfortable exile after being informed that he was plotting against him. Rifaat enjoyed a certain prestige with the authorities, after being credited with putting down a rebellion in Hama, Syrias fourth largest city, in a massacre in which at least 10,000 people died.

When banished, Al-Assad went to Marbella with a large entourage. When photographers tried to film him in Puerto Banús his bodyguards drew their weapons, something which has discouraged people from trying to get close to him ever since. He is reputed to be difficult to do business with, and local entrepreneurs tend to avoid him.

In June 2000, when his brother died, he made a rare public appearance to criticise his nephew and cast doubts on his ability to run the country. His name came up again last year, when the French authorities confiscated several properties as part of an investigation which has now spread to Spain.