Unlawful killing verdict on UK doctor found dead in Syrian prison cell

A jury has returned a verdict of unlawful killing at an inquest into the death of British doctor in a Syrian prison. Abbas Khan, a 32-year-old father-of-two from London, died on December 16 2013 while in custody in Damascus. He was on the verge of being released from prison. His family claim he was murdered but the Syrian government has always maintained that the orthopaedic surgeon killed himself and was found hanging in a prison cell.

We have always maintained he was mistreated, maltreated and tortured by the Syrian authorities, and maintained he was murdered by the Syrians.

Dr Khan’s brother Afroze

During a two-week hearing in London, the jury of seven men and four women heard there was no evidence that Dr Khan, who was captured in Aleppo in November 2012 after travelling from Turkey, had gone to Syria to fight. The chief coroner, Judge Peter Thornton, said: “It is clear that he wanted to use his medical skills to help others, and that included helping others in conflict-torn Syria.” Dr Khan’s brother Afroze said: “We have always maintained he was an innocent man who travelled to Syria for no other reason than to help civilians in the Syrian conflict.”

I regret I couldn’t save my son. Everybody lied to me there (Syria). There was no justice system there.

Dr Khan’s mother Fatima Khan

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