Basil al-Assad

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Basil al-Assad (1961–1994; Arabic: باسل الأسد‎, Bāsil al-Asad) was the son of the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad.

From a young age, Basil was groomed to fill the role of President by his father. A popular horse riding champion, he was chief of presidential security while running a highly publicized anti-corruption campaign within the regime, and frequently appeared in full military uniform at official receptions, signalling the regime's commitment to the armed forces. He also had a reputation for being an aficionado of fast cars.

In January 1994, driving his own Mercedes-Benz at high speed through fog to Damascus International Airport, Basil collided with a motorway roundabout and died instantly. His death led to his less well-known brother, Bashar al-Assad, then going through subspeciality training in the field of ophthalmology in London, assuming the mantle of President in waiting. Bashar became President upon the death of Hafez in 2000.

The state-run Syrian media refers to him as "Basil the Martyr" (Arabic: باسل الشهيد‎, Bāsil aš-Šahīd), and numerous squares and streets have been named after him. This is not unusual, however, since any innocent person who dies painfully is known in Arabic as a "Šahīd." His statue is found in several Syrian cities, and he is often pictured at billboards with his father and brother. He is buried in Qardaha, his father's village of birth, in a large mausoleum where Hafez al-Assad was laid to rest beside him in the year 2000.