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| British doctor dies in detention in Syria, family says | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A British surgeon, imprisoned in Syria for over a year, has died in detention his family has told the BBC. | A British surgeon, imprisoned in Syria for over a year, has died in detention his family has told the BBC. |
| Dr Abbas Khan, a 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon from Streatham, south London, travelled to the city of Aleppo last year to help civilians. | Dr Abbas Khan, a 32-year-old orthopaedic surgeon from Streatham, south London, travelled to the city of Aleppo last year to help civilians. |
| His brother Afroze said the Syrian security agency had promised his release this week but on Monday it said he had died. | His brother Afroze said the Syrian security agency had promised his release this week but on Monday it said he had died. |
| The Foreign Office said it was "extremely concerned" by reports. | The Foreign Office said it was "extremely concerned" by reports. |
| 'We are devastated' | 'We are devastated' |
| Mr Khan, 34, said: "My brother was going to be released at the end of the week. We were given assurance by the Syrian government. | Mr Khan, 34, said: "My brother was going to be released at the end of the week. We were given assurance by the Syrian government. |
| "My brother knew that. He was ready to come back home. | "My brother knew that. He was ready to come back home. |
| "He was happy and looking forward to being released." | "He was happy and looking forward to being released." |
| He added: "We are devastated, distraught and we are angry at the Foreign Office for dragging their feet for 13 months." | He added: "We are devastated, distraught and we are angry at the Foreign Office for dragging their feet for 13 months." |
| A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are extremely concerned by reports that a British national has died in detention in Syria. | A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: "We are extremely concerned by reports that a British national has died in detention in Syria. |
| "We are urgently seeking clarification of this from the Syrian authorities." | "We are urgently seeking clarification of this from the Syrian authorities." |
| Mr Khan said his brother was moved from a prison in Damascus to the national security agency's headquarters. | |
| He said his mother Fatima, who has been in Damascus for the last four months, was told she could visit her son on Monday and when she arrived she was told he was dead. | |
| He said the family had no information about how he died. | |
| Dr Khan, a father-of-two who worked at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, was arrested by Assad regime forces within 48 hours of arriving in Aleppo to work as an emergency surgeon. | |
| Earlier this year his mother found him in a prison in Damascus weighing just five stone (32kg) and barely able to walk. | |
| He claimed he had been tortured while being detained without charge and held for much of the time on his own. | |
| A spokesman for George Galloway said the Respect MP had been liaising with the Syrian prime minister and foreign minister for Dr Khan's release for several weeks. |