Syrian city’s attorney general resigns in protest at government crackdown

Muhammad al-Bakkour says he was asked to report that ‘armed gangs’ killed hundreds who were buried in mass graves in Hama The attorney general of the embattled Syrian city of Hama has resigned in protest against crimes against the local population committed by security forces. In an online video posted by activists , a man who identifies himself as Adnan Muhammad al-Bakkour said he was standing down because of the continued suppression of peaceful protest against the regime of the president, Bashar al-Assad. According to Bakkour, 72 prisoners were killed in Hama’s central prison on 31 July at the start of a three-day assault on the city on the eve of Ramadan. Bakkour said a further 420 people had been buried in mass graves in public parks by security forces and loyalists, which he was then asked to report as having been killed by “armed gangs”. He said that around 320 people had died under torture. “I, Judge Adnan Muhammad al-Bakkour, Hama province attorney general, declare that I have resigned in protest at the savage regime’s practices against peaceful demonstrators,” he said. Bakkour also alleged that the army had demolished houses with people still inside them in the al-Hadima area of Hama. He named a series of officials he claimed were linked to the crimes including the interior minister, Mohammed al-Shaar, who he said personally directed the military campaign against Hama. If verified, Bakkour’s resignation would be one of the highest level defections in a regime that has remained remarkably cohesive in the face of rising domestic and international pressure. On Monday the Syrian state news agency, Sana, said Bakkour had been kidnapped by armed men on his way to work and forced to “present false information”. But a resident of Hama who knows Bakkour denied that he had been abducted, and confirmed to the Guardian that he had resigned: “It was a surprise that he did this but I have spoken to people and it is true. We are now worried the regime will attack his family.” The government assault on Hama – whose residents had been protesting in their thousands – left more than 100 dead, according to human rights groups. But Bakkour’s statement suggests the human toll may be far higher than previously reported. In a report released on Tuesday Amnesty International said 88 people had died in custody and the UN says more than 2,200 people have been killed since Syria’s uprising began in mid-March. The release of the video came as troops backed by tanks launched fresh raids searching for activists behind the protests, local residents said. Dozens of people were arrested in a series of operations in the city. So far there have been low-level defections from the army and security forces but no officials have publicly stepped down. During the campaign against Hama the defence minister Ali Habib was replaced, leading to rumours that he was unhappy with the brutal crackdown which escalated at the start of Ramadan. The government said his retirement was due to illness. • Nour Ali is the pseudonym for a journalist based in Damascus Syria Arab and Middle East unrest Middle East Protest Nour Ali guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 1, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.