The military judiciary in Syria brought seven charges against former Syrian Vice President Abdel Halim Khaddam, who had previously announced his defection from the regime last December.
The military judiciary charged Khaddam (73 years old) with “scheming against a foreign country to push it to initiate aggression against Syria and provide the means for that.” Whoever is proven guilty of this charge in Syria shall be punished with life imprisonment with hard labor
Among the other charges against the former Syrian Vice President are “committing actions, writings, and speeches that were not sanctioned by the Syrian government, exposing Syria to hostile actions and disturbing its relations with a foreign country, and attempting to undermine the prestige of the Syrian state and national sentiment by publishing false information that would weaken the nation’s psyche and national sentiment.”
The indictment also stipulates “the conspiracy to usurp political and civil authority and illegal connections with the enemy,” that is, “his meeting with the Israeli newspaper Al-Sinara and the Israeli Voice of Peace radio station.” In addition, the Syrian military judiciary accused Khaddam of “criminal slander and giving false testimony.”
A source close to the file said that Khaddam would be punished, if convicted, with life imprisonment and a more severe sentence on those charges
Last March, Syrian newspapers published an announcement containing a judicial notification against Khaddam and a number of his family members to appear before the court, based on a lawsuit filed against them by the Prime Minister, Muhammad Naji Al-Otari, and the Minister of Finance, Muhammad Al-Hussein.
Khaddam left Syria several months ago and announced last December through the media his defection from the authority, calling for its overthrow. He and the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria announced last month in Brussels a program to overthrow the ruling regime in Syria by peaceful means
