Fahd Jassem al-Freij
| Fahd Jassem al-Freij | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Armed Forces | |
| Assumed office 18 July 2012 |
|
| President | Bashar Al-Assad |
| Preceded by | Dawoud Rajiha |
| Deputy Prime Minister of Syria | |
| Assumed office 23 June 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | Riyad Farid Hijab Wael Nader al-Halqi Imad Khamis |
| Preceded by | Abdullah al-Dardari |
| Minister of Defense | |
| Assumed office 18 July 2012 |
|
| Prime Minister | Riyad Farid Hijab Wael Nader al-Halqi Imad Khamis |
| Preceded by | Dawoud Rajiha |
| Chief of the General Staff of the Army and the Armed Forces | |
| In office 8 August 2011 – 18 July 2012 |
|
| President | Bashar al-Assad |
| Defense Minister | Dawoud Rajiha |
| Preceded by | Dawoud Rajiha |
| Succeeded by | Ali Abdullah Ayyoub |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 January 1950 Hama, Syria |
| Political party | Syrian Regional Branch of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Syria |
| Service/branch | Syrian Arab Army |
| Years of service | 1971-Present |
| Rank |  Colonel General |
| Unit | Armoured Corps |
| Commands | Special Forces Operations Staff |
Fahd Jassem al-Freij (Arabic:فهد جاسم الفريج) [1] (born 17 January 1950) is the Minister of Defense of Syria, taking office on 18 July 2012.
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Early life and education[edit]
Freij was born in Hama in a Sunni Arab tribe on 17 January 1950. He joined the Syrian Arab Army in 1968, and graduated as an armoured corps lieutenant from the Homs Military Academy in 1971.
Freij attended different courses and a higher military education:
- Bachelor in Military Sciences, Armoured Officer, Homs Military Academy, in 1971,
- Staff Course,
- Airborne paratroops course,
- General Command and Staff Course,
- Higher Staff Course (War Course).
Career[edit]
On 8 August 2011, Freij was appointed Chief of Staff of the Syrian Arab Army during the Syrian civil war. In December 2011, defected Syrian Army officers reported that prior to his appointment of Chief of Staff, al-Freij commanded the Syrian Army Special Forces in the regions of Daraa, Idlib and Hama during the Syrian uprising.
However, on 18 July 2012, after Defense Minister Dawoud Rajiha was assassinated in the 2012 Damascus bombing, Freij was appointed by Bashar al-Assad to succeed Rajiha.[1] He was also named as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Armed Forces.[2]
Accusations of crimes against humanity[edit]
A report released by Amnesty International on February 7, 2017, alleges that Freij is complicit in the killings of up to 13,000 individuals tried and convicted in secret military courts. Specifically, the report alleges that Freij's signature--or, alternatively, that of the Syrian Chief of the General Staff--was one of two needed for a death warrant issued by the secret courts to be implemented, and also that he witnessed the executions of those condemned by the military courts on several occasions[16].
References[edit]
- ^ a b "President al-Assad Appoints Gen. Fahd Jassem al-Freij Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Army and the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense". Syrian Arab News Agency. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
- ^ "Bombing in Syria reportedly kills two top officials". Los Angeles Times. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
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