Former Syrian Government Dissident Assassinated In Southern Syria

Noureddine al-Labbad was born in al-Sanamayn in 1962. He held a doctorate in French literature from Damascus University, a higher diploma in translation, and a master’s degree in international relations from Sorbonne University in Paris. He had previously served in Syrian embassies in Sanaa, Paris, Baghdad, Ankara, and Benghazi.

Al-Labbad defected from the Syrian government during the Syrian war in 2013 and moved to France, where he became an anti-regime dissident. He was one of the first Syrian diplomats to defect from the government during that period.

Two weeks ago, he returned to his hometown of al-Sanamayn but was assassinated by unknown assailants shortly after his arrival. His assassination marks the first killing of a former government dissident under the new Syrian government.