Son of Rami Makhlouf Denies Reports of His Arrest on Lebanese–Syrian Border

Ali Makhlouf, the son of Syrian businessman Rami Makhlouf, has denied reports claiming that he was detained in Lebanon, stressing that the rumors about his arrest at the Lebanese–Syrian border are false and baseless.

In a post published on his Facebook page late Wednesday, Makhlouf wrote:

“The news circulating about my detention is completely untrue. I urge everyone to verify information before spreading it.”

His statement came after unconfirmed media reports suggested that he had been stopped at the Masnaa border crossing between Lebanon and Syria. Some sources also claimed that Makhlouf had been residing in Lebanon for some time before relocating to an unknown destination. No official arrest warrant or investigation has been issued against him.

Ali is the son of Rami Makhlouf, cousin of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and once one of the country’s most influential businessmen, before his relationship with Damascus deteriorated in recent years.

In October, Rami Makhlouf posted a message on Facebook warning of escalating global tensions amid growing pressure on Russia. Earlier in May, he wrote that the accusations against him stemmed from his refusal to settle his companies’ accounts with the Syrian government.

Since the fall of the Assad regime in December, most figures close to the former government have disappeared from public view. Rami Makhlouf himself has not been seen in public, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.