political figure

Riad Hijab

رياض حجاب

Journeys

Riad Hijab: Syria's Prime Minister Who Fled After 64 Days

Hijab's defection was strategically significant: it demonstrated that even those who had accepted government posts could see the regime clearly enough to reject it. His immediate branding of Assad as 'terrorist' was powerful precisely because it came from a man who had been Prime Minister two months before.

Biography

Riad Hijab was Syria's Prime Minister from June to August 2012 — the highest-ranking Syrian government official to defect during the civil war. He served only 64 days as PM before announcing his defection on August 6, 2012 and fleeing to Jordan with his family. He described the Assad regime as a 'terrorist, murderous regime' and called on the army to defect. His defection was a major propaganda blow to Assad and demonstrated the depth of elite discontent. He later served as coordinator of the High Negotiations Committee — the main Syrian opposition negotiating body at Geneva — until 2017.

Documentation Status

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Journeys1

Key Facts

Born:1966

Place:Deir ez-Zor, Syria

Nationality:Syrian