The Supreme Court said on Friday that Spain is going to try Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's uncle on charges of money laundering after an investigative judge completed his investigation.
The court said the prosecutor's office had 10 days to comment on the judge's recommendation to proceed with the case, a procedure considered formal, and a date would be set for the start of the trial.
Two years ago, the Supreme Court seized assets worth more than 600 million euros believed to be linked to Rifaat al-Assad.
Assad has raised a former military commander, widely blamed for quelling the 1982 protests against Bashar's father, Hafez al-Assad. Thousands were killed during the crackdown.
But he turned against the government in 1984 after a power struggle over who would succeed his older brother Hafez, who now lives in exile between France and Britain.
He also faces trial in France for allegedly acquiring French property worth millions of euros.