The news that British medic Doctor Abbas Khan has died in a Syrian jail just a week before his release has sent shock-waves internationally.
The London born surgeon was arrested by Syrian forces last November for helping civilians in war torn Aleppo. Whilst imprisoned Dr Khan claimed that he was tortured, beaten and forced to abuse other prisoners. Earlier this year his mother found him in a Syrian prison having lost more than half his body weight and barely able to walk.
Syrian officials have claimed that his death was suicide caused by hanging from his own pajamas, whilst the UK foreign office minister has called his death " in effect murder" and "at best extremely suspicious". The MP George Galloway said he believed somebody within the regime had killed Dr Khan to defy President Assad's decision to release him. So was Dr Khan's death a politically motivated murder? And what does this case show about the increasing brutality of the Syrian regime?
Joining Jonathan Steele to discuss the implications of his death are Abdulaziz Almashi of UK Syrian Community, Professor Bill Bowring of Birkbeck University, London, and Mohammed Mogrhabi of the Syrian British Medical Society. On the phone are joined by Mohammed Abu Asaker of the UNHCR, who joins on the phone the the United Arab Emirates.
