security official

Hafez Makhlouf

حافظ مخلوف

Also known as: Hafez Makhlouf • Colonel Makhlouf

Journeys

Hafez Makhlouf: Assad's Cousin at the Palestine Branch

Hafez Makhlouf's position illustrates how the Assad system merged family control, economic power, and security apparatus command. As both a member of the Makhlouf family (which controlled major Syrian economic sectors through Rami Makhlouf) and a senior intelligence officer commanding Palestine Branch 235, he represented the convergence of clan power and state violence.

Biography

Hafez Makhlouf is Bashar al-Assad's cousin — son of Anisa Makhlouf (Bashar's mother's family). He served as a director of Palestine Branch (Branch 235) of Syrian Military Intelligence, one of Syria's most feared detention facilities. A member of the Makhlouf family that controlled vast portions of Syria's economy, he was sanctioned by the EU and US for his role in directing repression after 2011. He fled Syria and reportedly went to Russia.

Documentation Status

VerificationConfirmed

Journeys1

Key Facts

Born:1971

Place:Latakia, Syria

Nationality:Syrian