The Central New Jersey Home News (New Brunswick, New Jersey)
Fri, Mar 30, 1962 – Page 1
Ousted Syrians Going on Trial
Army Chief to Create Tribunal in 48 Hours
Damascus, Syria (AP)
Syria’s top soldier said today a people’s court will be set up this weekend to try “criminals of the ousted Syrian regime”.
Maj. Gen. Abdel Karim Zahreddin, commander in chief of the army, made this announcement in his first news conference since a military coup Wednesday topped the rightist government of President Nazem El Koudsi and Premier Maarouf Dawalibi.
Zahreddin said the court will be composed of military and civilian members who will be named by decree in the next 48 hours.
In Beirut, capital of neighboring Lebanon, it was estimated 100 persons, including Dawalibi and three other ex-premiers, were under arrest.
Authoritative sources said the other former government chiefs held were Mamoun Kuzbari, Khalid El Azem and Sabri Assali.
Koudsi, the ousted president, was reported to have been freed after a brief detention. According to one source, he has returned to his native city of Aleppo.