zer ba ij an ." ▁ ▁Sy ria , ▁R ifa at ▁al - Ass ad , ▁and ▁Russia ▁ ▁ES IS C ▁has ▁also ▁worked ▁on ▁beh alf ▁of ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁al - Ass ad ▁family , ▁producing ▁a ▁la ud atory ▁report ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁that ▁port rayed ▁Rib al ▁al - Ass ad ▁( a ▁cousin ▁of ▁Sy rian ▁President ▁Bash ar ▁al - Ass ad ) ▁as ▁a ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁opposition ▁and ▁a ▁" dem ocr atic ▁alternative " ▁struggling ▁for ▁human ▁rights . ▁Rib al ▁is ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁R ifa at ▁al - Ass ad , ▁brother ▁of ▁former ▁Sy rian ▁President ▁H af iz ▁al - Ass ad . ▁According ▁to ▁France ▁ 2 4 , ▁R ifa at ▁al - Ass ad ▁personally ▁o vers aw ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁H ama ▁mass acre , ▁and ▁Human ▁Rights ▁Watch ▁reports ▁that ▁he ▁ordered ▁" the ▁extra jud icial ▁kill ings ▁of ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁prisoners " ▁during ▁a ▁single ▁day ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁ ▁By ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁ES IS C ▁had ▁scr ub bed ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁report ▁from ▁its ▁website . ▁However , ▁another ▁report ▁by ▁Claude ▁Mon iqu et ▁from ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁that ▁similarly ▁highlight s ▁Rib al ▁al - Ass ad ▁remained ▁on ▁the ▁website . ▁ ▁The ▁report ▁“ The ▁Armen ian ▁Connection