Written questions

Rifaat al-Assad: Freezing of Assets

Commons · Question 92504 · 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, following the seizure of the property belonging to Rifaat al-Assad in Mayfair, London, in 2020 by UK authorities, who is currently the legal owner of that property and who is responsible for managing

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 restrain and recover criminal assets, such as property.Restraint orders ensure that suspected criminal property cannot be sold or otherwise disposed of whils...