DHAKA: The body of a British doctor who died in Syrian custody earlier in the week arrived in Lebanon Saturday ahead of repatriation to the United Kingdom.

The body of Dr Abbas Khan crossed the eastern Masnaa border into Lebanon at around 3:00pm, a security source told TDS.

An official from the International Committee of the Red Cross in Lebanon said the body would be transported to Hotel Dieu Hospital in Beirut before being returned to the UK.

A 32-year-old doctor from south London, Khan had been treating wounded civilians in northern Syria.

He was arrested by authorities just over a year ago and was due to be released last week but Syrian government officials said Tuesday he had been found dead in his cell in an apparent suicide.

The suicide claims have been rejected by the physician’s family.

They have released handwritten letters from the doctor to his seven-year-old daughter saying that he was looking forward to seeing her soon.

BDST: 2007 HRS, DEC 21, 2013
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor