The media office of the former Vice President of Syria, Abdul Haleem Khaddam, issued a statement refuting the seven charges made by the military public prosecution in Syria against Khaddam. It considered that this matter highlights “the extent of the collapse that the situation in Syria has reached.” The following is the text of the statement.
The Military Public Prosecution in Damascus filed a lawsuit against Mr. Abdul Haleem Khaddam, including seven criminal charges. The media office of Mr. Abdul Haleem Khaddam wishes to clarify the following:
- The first charge alleges espionage for a foreign state to incite aggression against Syria and provide the means for it. The accusation does not specify the foreign state involved, the methods of contact, the individuals involved, or how the false and alleged information was conveyed.
- The second charge is the rape of political and civilian authority. The accusation does not specify the details or elements of how this rape was carried out. Meanwhile, the regime itself resulted from a military coup. The call for a change in the regime through the people, as advocated by Mr. Khaddam and the National Salvation Front, is a call to restore the Syrian people’s authority through peaceful means, not through the use of force as in the past.
- The charge considers the meeting with the Arab Sanara Magazine, published by an Arab in Israel, a crime. What about the Syrian regime’s reception of members of the Israeli Knesset, some of whom conveyed messages between the regime and Israeli intelligence? What about the warm handshake with the Israeli president during the funeral of the late Pope in the Vatican? What about the meetings that took place in Europe with individuals close to the regime and with Israelis? What about the letter sent by President Bashar al-Assad to Ehud Olmert?
- The fourth charge pertains to actions, writings, and speeches not approved by the Syrian government, along with a false testimony. Does the regime not know that Mr. Khaddam spoke in leadership meetings and party conferences in the presence of the regime and his father before him about the flaws and corruption of the system? Is it not ironic to tell any Syrian that expressing their opinion is prohibited without the authority’s approval? Is this not clear evidence of the extensive imprisonment imposed on the Syrian people?
Regarding the false testimony, it is not within the jurisdiction of the Military Public Prosecution or others to challenge the testimony because it occurred before the International Investigation Committee responsible for evaluating this testimony. In any case, the results of the investigations will be released soon, revealing who is lying.
- The fifth charge is exposing Syria to hostile actions without the prosecution mentioning these actions, their source, and their mechanisms. Is it not the regime, with its reckless decisions for narrow interests, that put Syria in danger? Is it not the one responsible for the issuance of Resolution 1559 due to its extension of Lebanese President Emile Lahoud’s term?
6 . The accusation mentions Mr. Khaddam tarnishing relations between Syria and another country without specifying which country and how this tarnishing operation took place and when.
- As for the charge of undermining the state’s dignity, does the state still have dignity under the dominance of the regime’s family and its control over its institutions, resources, and the freedoms of the people? Has the state retained its dignity after the regime weakened it, shattered national unity, impoverished the country, and does the oppressive and corrupt regime represent national sentiment?
The state maintains its dignity when it has genuine democratic institutions, and when the people are the source of power. It is achieved when government agencies prioritize the people’s issues and their well-being, and when their freedoms become the decisive factor between the state and an usurping authority. In Syria, when the state becomes the state of the people, not the authority of a family, then it will have dignity and become a source of national attraction and a beacon of hope for the people.
The summons issued by the Military Public Prosecutor before the military court highlights the extent of the collapse that the situation in Syria has reached. It has resorted to such methods to intimidate and terrorize the people, leaving them with only one option: silence and acceptance of injustice and corruption. Expressing their opinions will subject them to charges of conspiring against the state and collaborating with foreign entities.
All Syrians are aware of the national history of Mr. Abdul Haleem Khaddam, who has repeatedly declared, as the National Salvation Front and all national opposition forces in Syria have done, that the change must be Syrian, and seeking foreign assistance is unacceptable. The Syrian people should be the ones to change the corrupt regime, deciding their destiny and future.