Boutros Khawand

Boutros Khawand (Arabic: بطرس خوند‎, born 1940 in Kattin) was a member of the political bureau of the Lebanese Kataeb party and one of the cofounders of its military council in 1975. He was kidnapped in front of his house in Horch Tabet on September 15, 1992.[1]

Background

Boutros Khawand began his political career in the Kataeb party in 1956. He held several key positions within the party in which he was one of the co-founders. In 1976, he became the confident of the elected Lebanese president Bachir Gemayel. In 1982, Khawand was elected to the presidency of the Military Council and the political bureau of the Kataeb party (the largest Christian party in the middle east), He held the latter position until his kidnapping on September 15, 1992. He was known to have a strong and well respected relations with all Lebanese leaders specially with president Amine Gemayel as well as the president of the Lebanese forces (Dr. Samir Geagea).

Kidnapping

On September 15, 1992, at 9:10 AM, Khawand was heading to the Kataeb Party headquarters in Beirut when his car was intercepted by two BMW cars and one red van, 1 km away from his home. Between eight and ten gunmen were in the attacking squad. They pulled him out of his car and forced him into the van and rushed him to an unknown destination. It is known at the time that the Syrian military ruled Lebanon with a string presence in the area where Khawand was abducted.[2]

Captivity

It is widely believed that he is still alive in one of the Syrian jails, most probably in Tadmor prison or in the "Sab'h Bahrat" (Seven Seas) prison controlled by the Syrian Air Force intelligence service, although some reports stated that he was later transferred to Al-Hasakah prison.[3]

See also

References
  1. Official of Christian Party Is Kidnapped in East Beirut, The New York Times (Archives), September 16, 1992. Retrieved on 2007-08-25.
  2. Lebanon, The long wait of the families of detainees and abducted people Archived July 11, 2004, at the Wayback Machine, International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH), International Investigation Mission, January 2001. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
  3. Syrian National Council: Four New Official Documents Prove the Presence of Lebanese Political Prisoners in Syria (in Arabic). Modern Discussion, Issue 1190, May 7, 2005. Retrieved on 2008-02-21.
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