Doctor's Death: Did UK Do Enough To Save Him?
Updated: 1:10pm UK, Wednesday 18 December 2013
By Tim Marshall, Foreign Affairs Correspondent
The family of British doctor Abbas Khan has again criticised the British government for not doing enough to help free him before his death in a Syrian prison cell this week.
Dr Khan's brother, Dr Shahnawaz Khan told Sky News that the Foreign Office "placated us throughout and their inaction over the last 13 months has contributed to the unfortunate outcome we now have".
The Syrian authorities say Dr Khan was found dead in his cell on Monday. They say he had hanged himself.
The Foreign Office denies the accusation that it had not worked for Dr Khan's freedom and issued a statement saying
"The Syrian authorities have confirmed to us, through diplomatic channels, that Dr Khan died.
"Responsibility for Dr Khan's death lies with them and we will be pressing for answers about what happened…. We have consistently sought consular access to Dr Khan and information on his detention directly and through the Russians and Czechs and others... our requests have consistently been ignored."
The British government's options were severely limited by no longer having an embassy open in Damascus or any consular staff there.
Given the state of relations between the two countries a visit by a senior diplomat, or politician, would be very difficult and possibly refused by the Syrian side on the grounds that the UK is calling for the overthrow of President Assad.
The family say they only received a promise Dr Khan would be freed after his mother went to Damascus to personally lobby for him.
Dr Khan had entered Syria illegally in the autumn of 2012 and was arrested near Aleppo by government forces who suspected he might be aiding the insurgency.
However, he was never charged and was held in squalid conditions and allegedly repeatedly tortured. His mental and physical state deteriorated so much that in a letter home he had written that he had suicidal thoughts.
However, his devastated family are adamant that once he had the news that he would be freed his mood changed and he was looking forward to coming home. His brother says it is inconceivable Dr Khan would have committed suicide.
Dr Khan's mother and brother are now in Beirut applying for visas to travel to Damascus. The Foreign Office said: "We are discussing the circumstances of repatriation with both Dr Khan's family and the Syrian authorities."
:: Watch Sky News live on television, on Sky channel 501, Virgin Media channel 602, Freeview channel 82 and Freesat channel 202.
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