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| Doctor 'unlawfully killed' in Syria jail | Doctor 'unlawfully killed' in Syria jail |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A British doctor who died in a Syrian prison was unlawfully killed, a London inquest jury has ruled. | A British doctor who died in a Syrian prison was unlawfully killed, a London inquest jury has ruled. |
| Dr Abbas Khan, 32, a father-of-two from south London, died on 16 December 2013 while in custody in Damascus. | Dr Abbas Khan, 32, a father-of-two from south London, died on 16 December 2013 while in custody in Damascus. |
| His family claims he was murdered. The Syrian government maintains he was found hanging in a jail cell. | His family claims he was murdered. The Syrian government maintains he was found hanging in a jail cell. |
| The jury at the Royal Courts of Justice heard there was no evidence Dr Khan had gone to Syria to fight. It said the cause of his death was "unascertained". | The jury at the Royal Courts of Justice heard there was no evidence Dr Khan had gone to Syria to fight. It said the cause of his death was "unascertained". |
| 'Deliberately killed' | |
| In its ruling, the jury said Dr Khan died in an "unknown prison or place of detention" in Damascus. | In its ruling, the jury said Dr Khan died in an "unknown prison or place of detention" in Damascus. |
| The jury forewoman announced: "Dr Khan was deliberately and intentionally killed without any legal justification." | The jury forewoman announced: "Dr Khan was deliberately and intentionally killed without any legal justification." |
| Asked what the jury's conclusion was "as to the death", she replied: "Unlawful killing." | Asked what the jury's conclusion was "as to the death", she replied: "Unlawful killing." |
| The jury had been asked to consider whether Dr Khan took his own life, or if he was "forced in some way by his captors to take his own life against his will", or if he was "unlawfully killed" by his captors. | |
| Among the witnesses called over two weeks was Respect MP for Bradford West George Galloway. | |
| He said he sent a formal appeal for clemency to Syria's president and was given an assurance that Dr Khan would be released after the process of a court case. |