(MENAFN) Swiss judicial authorities have proposed halting the trial of Rifaat al-Assad, the uncle of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, due to his health condition. The 87-year-old was facing charges related to crimes committed during his time as a Syrian army commander in 1982.

A spokeswoman for the Federal Criminal Court confirmed that due to Rifaat al-Assad’s inability to travel or participate in proceedings, they have called for the involved parties to decide whether to close the case. The court has not yet made a final decision and expects to hear opinions from all parties by mid-January.

Rifaat al-Assad's lawyers have consistently denied his involvement in the alleged crimes. In 1982, he was accused of ordering murder, torture, unlawful detention, and other atrocities while commanding forces during the Hama massacre. His whereabouts are currently unknown, though he has lived abroad, mostly in France, since the 1980s. Swiss authorities began prosecuting him in 2013 under universal jurisdiction for war crimes, which have no statute of limitations.

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