Rifaat al-Assad: Freezing of Assets
Commons · Question 92503 · Tabled 19 Nov 2025 · Home Office · Official record
Answered 1 Dec 2025
Question
Asked by Sir Iain Duncan Smith
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, under what legal power the Government seized the property belonging to Rifaat al-Assad in Mayfair, London following his conviction for money laundering and embezzling public funds in France in 2020.
Answer
Answered by Dan Jarvis, 1 Dec 2025
The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) provides law enforcement agencies with a wide range of powers to freeze, seize and recover criminal assets, such as property.These include restraint orders, property freezing orders, recovery and confiscation orders. Over ...