Fawas Akhras ( ar, فواز أخرس) (born September 1946) is a Syrian–

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular ...

known for being the father-in-law of Bashar al-Assad and chairman of the

British Syrian Society The British Syrian Society is an association set up to promote relations between the government of Syria and the United Kingdom. It was established in 2003 by Fawaz Akhras, father-in-law of Bashar al-Assad. Its current directors include Akhras, Lor ...

Biography

Akhras qualified in medicine in 1973. Akhras has been described as "a key figure in liaison between the Syrian and British governments".Andrew Gilligan
Syria: Assad's father-in-law compares Syrian uprising to London riots
''Telegraph'' 15 March 2012 He is the founder of the

and is involved with a number of Syrian causes. He is a consultant interventional cardiologist at the

Cromwell Hospital The Cromwell Hospital is a private sector hospital located in the South Kensington area of London. It is operated by international healthcare company Bupa. History The hospital, which was designed by Holder Mathias, was established by Bank of Cre ...

South Kensington South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...

, London, and practices at his private medical clinic, Cardiac Healthcare Services, in Harley Street, London. He lives in Acton, London, and is married to former diplomat Sahar Otri al-Akhras. Their daughter, Asma married Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in 2000. It was reported before the Syrian civil war that he had influence on the Syrian president in domestic affairs. On 15 March 2012, ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' published allegedly intercepted emails that appeared to show that he was advising the Syrian President from the UK during the crackdown on anti-regime protesters. According to ''The Guardian'', Akhras used a private email channel to the Syrian president offering advice on how his government should spin its suppression of the uprising, including how best to rebut apparent video footage of Syrian forces torturing children. Speaking to ''

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'' in 2012, Akhras drew comparisons between the start of the Syrian civil war and the

2011 England riots The 2011 England riots, more widely known as the London riots, were a series of riots between 6 and 11 August 2011. Thousands of people rioted in cities and towns across England, which saw looting, arson, as well as mass deployment of police ...

References

External links

Al Arabiya reveals the story behind Assads’ leaked emails and what they mean for Syria
2012 Living people 1946 births Syrian Muslims People from Homs Assad family {{UK-med-bio-stub