Leaked Documents Reveal Execution of Prince Abdelkader’s Descendant in Assad’s Prison
Syrian Interior Ministry records confirm the 2015 execution of Dr. Khaldoun al-Hassani al-Jaza’iri, a prominent scholar and descendant of Algerian national hero, by direct order from Bashar al-Assad.
Watan-Social media activists circulated reports that the Syrian Ministry of Interior had uncovered official documents related to the execution of Dr. Mohammed Khaldoun Mohammed Makki al-Hassani al-Jaza’iri—descendant of Algerian national hero Emir Abdelkader—at Syria’s notorious Sednaya Prison during the rule of ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
The leaked documents recorded the martyr’s name, his entry date into Sednaya, and the execution order signed personally by Assad. The documents also cited that the sentence was carried out under the directive of Ali Mamlouk, the former head of the National Security Bureau.
In January, Asia Zahour Boutaleb, spokesperson for the Emir Abdelkader Foundation, confirmed Dr. Khaldoun’s death at Sednaya, stating:“It has been confirmed that Sheikh Khaldoun al-Hassani al-Jaza’iri, a descendant of Emir Abdelkader, died in the infamous Sednaya prison in Syria.” She added: “Prison archives reveal that he was arrested in 2012 and died in 2015.”
Dr. Khaldoun: Scholar, Jurist, and Regime Critic Silenced by Assad’s Execution Order
Dr. Khaldoun was a dentist, encyclopedic scholar, and Maliki jurist certified to issue religious rulings. He was also a masterful Quran reciter with authorization in the ten Qira’at, as well as a historian and author—known for publishing a response to the Sufi scholar Habib Ali al-Jifri. Zahour ended her statement with a prayer for mercy for him and justice against his killers.
He was well known for his bold opposition to the Syrian regime and his criticism of corruption and oppression. Banned from preaching and teaching, he was first arrested in 2008 for his outspoken views. During his second arrest in 2012, he was taken from his home in Damascus to an unknown location. A military court sentenced him to death for his opposition to the regime. Despite family and human rights efforts to save him, documents later confirmed his execution at Sednaya in 2015.
A Legacy of Resistance: From Emir Abdelkader to His Grandson Dr. Khaldoun in Damascus
Dr. Khaldoun, considered by many to resemble his grandfather Emir Abdelkader, was born in Damascus in 1970 into a family steeped in both religious and scientific knowledge. His father, Dr. Makki al-Hassani, was a nuclear physicist and Arabic linguist. Khaldoun earned a degree in dentistry from Damascus University in 1993. Alongside his professional work, he represented the Emir Abdelkader family in international forums.
Emir Abdelkader, the founder of modern Algeria, had a deep connection to Syria, where he settled in 1855 after being exiled by French colonial authorities. He became an influential figure in Syrian society and was renowned for protecting Christians during the 1860 Damascus massacres. He died in Damascus and was buried there before his remains were returned to Algeria in 1966—yet his legacy endures in Syria’s modern history.
