Anonymous security sources told +963 Media on Friday that the Syrian government has seized the assets of businessman Mohammed Hamsho, just days after his membership in the People’s Assembly was revoked.
The decision to confiscate Hamsho’s funds, issued directly from the presidential palace, comes after years of Hamsho’s close ties to the Syrian government. For over a decade, he was considered a key economic ally of the regime and a friend and business partner of Maher al-Assad, the brother of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The move has sparked a sharp dispute between Hamsho and Ibrahim Hadid, the assistant secretary of the Baath Party, who views the decision as a direct challenge, according to the source.
Hamsho’s dismissal from the People’s Assembly follows a broader trend, with other members also removed for holding foreign citizenship. Anas Muhammad al-Khatib, representing the Damascus governorate constituency “Sector B,” was dismissed due to his dual Jordanian-Syrian nationality. Similarly, Shadi Debsi was removed for holding Turkish citizenship.
Since 2012
Hamsho served as a member of the People’s Assembly in the 2012 and 2016 sessions. He also ran for re-election in 2020, only to withdraw, before returning to the race and winning in 2024.
Hamsho was among the first Syrian businessmen to be placed on the European Union’s sanctions list in 2011. His assets were frozen, and he was banned from entering EU territory, though the sanctions were lifted in 2014, only to be reinstated in 2015. He was also placed on U.S. sanctions lists.
The Syrian government justifies the dismissal of several members of the People’s Assembly based on a constitutional provision that requires candidates to be Syrian citizens for at least ten years and not hold any foreign nationality. However, the timing of these actions suggests rising tensions between the government and the security apparatus.
In 2019, the Syrian government had issued a decree to seize Hamsho’s assets, along with those of several other businessmen in Syria. However, his supporters intervened at the time, preventing the implementation of the decision.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
