Boutros Khawand

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Boutros Khawand (Arabic: بطرس خوند , born 1940 in Kattin) was a member of the political bureau of the Lebanese Kataeb party and one of the cofounders of its military council in 1975. He was kidnapped in front of his house in Horch Tabet on September 15, 1992.^[1]

1 Background
2 Kidnapping
3 Captivity
4 See also
5 References

[edit] Background

Khawand began his political carrier in the Kataeb party in 1956. He held several positions within the party. In 1976, he became one of the major assistants of Bachir Gemayel, head of the Kataeb Military Council (which later became the core of the Lebanese Forces). In 1985, he was elected to the presidency of the Military Council and at the same time, to the political bureau of the Kataeb party. He held the latter position until his kidnapping in 1992. He was known to have a good relationship with Lebanese Forces leader Dr. Samir Geagea.

[edit] Kidnapping

On September 15, 1992, at 9:15 AM, Khawand was heading to Kataeb headquarters in Beirut when his car, a red Opel, was intercepted by two BMW cars and one red van, 100m away from his home. Between eight and ten gunmen were in the attacking squad. They pulled him out of his car and forced him into the van. ^[2]

[edit] Captivity

It is widely believed that he is still alive in one of the Syrian jails, most probably in Mazzeh prison or in the "Sab' Bahrat" (Seven Seas) prison (controlled by the Syrian Air Force intelligence service) in Damascus although some reports stated that he was later transferred to Tadmur prison.^[3]