Profile: George Sabra, Chief of the Syrian National Council

 
George Sabra was elected as the Chief of the Syrian National Council seemingly since he has a history full of struggle, and he is accepted by all parties.            

Not only he opposed various inside stances, he opposed foreign stances and was arrested based on his political activities.                    

During the recent incidents in Syria, Sabra was taken in July 2011 from his house in Qatana and was detained for 2 months on charges of violating the morale of the state and inciting people to protest against the regime of President Bachar al-Assad.                    

Later on, he left Syria and went to France where he joined the Secretariat of the National Council.                                          

In 1970, George Sabra joined the Syrian Communist Party, and was under surveillance so he absconded for almost 3 years.                 

In 1985, he became a member in the Party’s Central Committee and was arrested in 1987.                             

He was sentenced by the Supreme State Security Council to a period of 8-years imprisonment that he spent in Sednaya Military Prison.        

In 2005, he participated in the constitution of the Damascus Declaration for the National Democratic Change.               

It is worth mentioning that George Sabra was born in 1947 in Qatana-Damascus.             

He studied there and graduated in 1967.                              

He received his Bachelor of Arts in Geography and educational systems from Indiana University in the U.S.                         

His election as the Chief of the National Council did not gratify all the opposition; some considered that he ruined his achievements, while other considered that being a Christian  refutes all accusations against the religion and threats against minorities. 


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