political figure

Riad Seif

رياض سيف

Journeys

From Assad's Parliament to the Opposition's Founding Father — Riad Seif's Democratic Mission

A textile magnate who used a parliamentary seat to challenge Assad's corruption, was jailed twice, then co-founded the main Syrian opposition coalition in Doha 2012 — Riad Seif represented the secular democratic vision the revolution began with.

Biography

Riad Seif is a Syrian political dissident and prominent businessman who founded and led the Forum for National Dialogue. Seif was elected to the Parliament of Syria in 1994 as an independent and again in 1998. For several years he owned an Adidas franchise in Damascus. During the Syrian civil war, he was a prominent member of the Syrian opposition and presided for a time the Syrian National Coalition.

Documentation Status

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Journeys1

Key Facts

Born:1946

Place:Damascus, Syria

Nationality:Syrian