Khaled al-Ayoubi
Khaled al-Ayoubi is a former Syrian diplomat. On 30 July 2012, he informed the Britain's Foreign Office that he left his post as Chargé d'Affaires in the Syrian embassy in London.[1][2] He was the most senior Syrian diplomat left in London after the British government forced embassy staff to leave in May.
Al-Ayoubi, an ethnic Kurd,[3][4] was born in Damascus in about 1971.[3] He studied at Damascus University and worked as a computer technician at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs before undertaking further study from 1995 to 1999.[3] He joined the Syrian diplomatic service in 2001.[4][5] He was posted to Greece as consul from 2003-2008,[6] and then returned to Syria.[3] In February 2011, he was posted to the Syrian embassy in London as second secretary,[4][7] and became chargé d'affaires after his predecessor was expelled in May 2012.[4]
Al-Ayoubi claimed that he left because he was unable to: "represent a regime that has committed such violent and oppressive acts against its own people", according to an interview.[2][7][8][9] His departure was characterized as another blow to the Syrian government.[2][10]
Following his resignation, al-Ayoubi and his family were provided with a safe house by the Foreign Office,[2][7] and then moved to Barnsley, South Yorkshire,[11] where al-Ayoubi volunteers at the Barnsley Refugee Advice Project,[3][11][12] keeps budgerigars,[3][11] and gardens.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ "Syrian Chargé D'Affaires in London resigns". Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d "Syria diplomat quits UK post in 'protest' at Assad regime". BBC. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Drysdale, Laura (19 February 2019). "From top Syrian diplomat to Barnsley budgie breeder, how life has changed for Khaled al-Ayoubi". The Yorkshire Post. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ a b c d Whitehead, Tom (15 September 2013). "Don't trust Assad. I should know, I worked with him". Sunday Telegraph. p. 37. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ Martin, Nick (1 September 2013). "Syria: Assad 'Planned Gas Attack Last Summer'". Sky News. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ "Syria's charge d'affaires in London defects". The Times of Israel. AP. 30 July 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Spillius, Alex (31 July 2012). "Assad's senior diplomat in London resigns". DNA. Retrieved 1 August 2012.
- ^ Thomson, Mike (2019). Syria's Secret Library: The True Story of how a Besieged Syrian Town Found Hope. Orion. ISBN 9781474605939. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
The following month a member of Assad's own regime spoke out against his ruthless suppression of those who opposed him. The Syrian Chargé d'Affaires in London, Khaled al-Ayoubi, resigned saying that he was no longer willing to represent a regime that had committed such violent and oppressive acts against its own people.
- ^ Lister, Charles R. (2016). The Syrian Jihad Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Evolution of an Insurgency. Oxford University Press. p. 79. ISBN 9780190462475. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ Martin, Adam (30 July 2012). "Syria's Top London Diplomat Has Finally Had It". The Atlantic. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ a b c Morris, Jake; Razzall, Katie; Lea, Laura (6 February 2019). "The defected diplomat turned Barnsley budgie vlogger". BBC. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ a b "'I can sleep with a clear conscience'". Barnsley Chronicle. 15 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
External links
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