Jisr has learned from a reliable source that Najat Marqabi, also known as “Um Jamal,” the wife of Abdel Halim Khaddam, the former deputy of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, passed away today in Paris, France. This sad event occurred just days after her husband’s death on March 31, resulting from a heart attack.
Khaddam served for 30 years under the administrations of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad, holding various positions in Syria. He served as Vice President, Foreign Minister, member of the Baath Party’s leadership, Governor of Quneitra, and Governor of Hama.
In 2005, he defected from the regime and sought refuge in France. The First Criminal Military Court in Damascus issued 13 sentences against him in absentia, with the most severe being life imprisonment with hard labor.