DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria’s transitional president conducted a major government reorganization on Saturday, dismissing his brother from a senior administrative role amid growing criticism over family favoritism while working to rebuild the war-torn nation following years of devastating conflict.
Maher al-Sharaa, brother of President Ahmad al-Sharaa, had been serving in the role of secretary-general to the presidency based in Damascus. The family appointment had sparked criticism and comparisons to the governing style of Syria’s ousted President Bashar Assad and his predecessor father, Hafez Assad.
President Ahmad al-Sharaa spearheaded the rebel campaign that successfully removed Bashar Assad from power in December 2024, ending nearly 14 years of civil warfare. Throughout Assad’s tenure, he similarly installed relatives, including his spouse and brother, into positions of power and influence.
Maher Assad, the former president’s brother, held command of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — a force that opposition groups accused of murder, torture, extortion and narcotics smuggling. Assad’s spouse, Asma Assad, led the powerful Syrian Trust for Development organization.
Through an official order issued Saturday, al-Sharaa named Abdul Rahman Badreddine al-Aama — who had been serving as Homs province’s governor — to take over his brother’s responsibilities, according to state media outlet SANA.
Officials have not announced what role, if any, Maher al-Sharaa will assume moving forward. The physician had previously held the position of Syria’s temporary health minister.
The interim administration also named new provincial leaders for Homs, Latakia, Deir el-Zour and Quneitra regions, along with selecting a new information minister, Khaled Zaarour, a university professor who recently served as media faculty dean at Damascus University. Zaarour is taking over from Hamza Mustafa, a former broadcasting industry leader who had directed the private Syria TV channel before joining the government as information minister.
