Najm Hamad Al Ahmad

Najm Hamad Al Ahmad
نجم حمد الأحمد‎
Minister of Justice
In office
16 August 2012 – 29 March 2017
PresidentBashar Assad
Prime Minister
Preceded byTayseer Qala Awwad
Succeeded byHisham Al Shaar
Personal details
Born1969 (age 54–55)
Aleppo
NationalitySyrian
Political partyBa'ath Party
Alma mater

Najm Hamad Al Ahmad (Arabic: نجم حمد الأحمد) (born 1969) is a Syrian jurist and justice minister from 2012 until 2017.

Early life and education

Ahmad was born in Aleppo in 1969.[1][2] He hails from an Alawi family.[3] He holds a bachelor's degree in law, which he received in 1991.[4] He also obtained degrees in general law, administrative law and administrative sciences from the University of Damascus and Ain Shams University in Egypt.[4] He also received a PhD in law from Ain Shams University.[2]

Career

Ahmad served as the chairman of the judicial reform committee formed on 17 May 2011.[2] He also served as deputy justice minister.[citation needed] On 16 August 2012, Ahmad was appointed justice minister by the Syrian president Bashar Assad to the cabinet headed by Wael Al Halaqi.[5][6] In July 2016 Ahmad was also named as the justice minister in the cabinet led by Imad Khamis.[7] On 29 March 2017 Hisham Al Shaar replaced Ahmad as justice minister in a cabinet reshuffle.[8]

Sanctions

On 16 October 2012, the European Union put him along with other Syrian officials into the list of financial sanctions.[9] The Treasury of the United Kingdom also put him among asset freeze targets the same day.[10]

On 16 May 2013, the United States Treasury Department designated four senior Syrian officials, including Ahmad, for backing "the government of Bashar Assad in suppressing people or involvement in terrorism".[11][12]

References

  1. ^ "Designation of Three (3) Individuals Pursuant to Executive Order 13573 of May 18, 2011". Federal Register. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  2. ^ a b c R. Raslan; F. Allafi; Al Ibrahim (16 August 2012). "President al-Assad Issues Two Decrees Nominating 3 Ministers, Appointing Mohammad Waheed Aqqad as Aleppo Governor". Syrian Arab News Agency. Archived from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  3. ^ Syria Country Study Guide. Vol. 1. Washington, DC: International Business Publications. 2013. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-4387-7569-2.
  4. ^ a b "Minister of Justice Najem Hamad Al-Ahmad". egov.sy. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Syria decides new government line-up". Ahram Online. Reuters. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  6. ^ "Bashar Assad's brother Maher 'loses leg'". The Telegraph. London. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  7. ^ "President Assad Issues Decree Forming New Syria Government". Al Manar. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  8. ^ "Syria's Assad orders replacement of 3 ministers". Xinhua. Damascus. 29 March 2017. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Annex to notice" (PDF). EU. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  10. ^ "Asset Freeze Targets". HM Treasury. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  11. ^ US sanctions Syrian officials, blacklists chief of extremist group KUNA 17 May 2013
  12. ^ Jeremy M. Sharp; Christopher M. Blanchard (6 September 2013). "Armed Conflict in Syria: Background and U.S. Response" (PDF). Congressional Research Service. Retrieved 14 September 2013.