Dispossession and Pillage Behind the Veil of “Secret Orders”: The Seizure of Al-Hawrani Hospital in Hama
In one of the most intricate cases of asset appropriation in contemporary Syria, a once-standard medical joint venture was gradually transformed into a theatre of forced dispossession. What began as a routine partnership evolved into a struggle over ownership, driven by a clandestine security directive that opened the way to the systematic stripping of an entire medical institution.
A Decade of Professional Achievement Followed by Imprisonment
In 1998, Dr. Fida al-Hawrani founded Al-Hawrani Hospital in Hama on property plot 7182. For nearly ten years, the hospital functioned with notable efficiency, offering fifty-two beds across multiple specialities. Its trajectory shifted abruptly in 2007 when Dr. al-Hawrani was detained on political grounds, later receiving both a prison sentence and a decree of civil disenfranchisement.
Red Wax Seals and a “Strictly Confidential” Directive
The machinery of seizure moved swiftly after the owner’s disappearance. Acting on instructions from the National Security Bureau, authorities sealed the hospital with red wax under the pretext of lacking a technical director. The hospital’s management proposed three qualified physicians to fill the role, yet each was rejected by security services. The pattern suggested a deliberate effort to clear the way for an imposed “special tasks” appointee.
The facility reopened only after a “strictly confidential” directive issued by the office of former Prime Minister Naji al-Otari, following instructions from Hisham Ikhtiyar, then head of the National Security Bureau. The decree installed Dr. “Ahmed A.” as the hospital’s technical, financial, and administrative director. Official documents even described him as the “Hospital Owner,” despite his having no stake in the original partnership.
Shadow Incorporations and Legal Engineering
Two months before Dr. al-Hawrani’s release in 2010, a new development surfaced. A company named “Al-Hawrani Hospital Medical Investment Co. LLC” was quietly incorporated, granting the imposed director and his associates majority ownership. The company was registered without a fixed address. Former Minister of Economy Lamia Assi approved the license with a conditional clause allowing for revocation if requirements were not met, yet the entity continued operating without interruption.
Asset Stripping and the Charge of Criminal Usurpation
The dispute soon extended beyond administrative control. Documents submitted in the ongoing lawsuit reveal that the hospital’s original equipment and installations, owned by Dr. al-Hawrani and her partners, were absorbed into the assets of the newly formed company without their knowledge or consent.
Legal specialists argue that this action surpasses any regulatory infraction. It constitutes a fully formed crime of asset usurpation under Syrian Penal and Civil Law. In effect, the tangible property of a legitimate joint venture was diverted into a private investment vehicle controlled by an individual who had been introduced only as a temporary custodian.
A Political Case Disguised as a Commercial Dispute
The saga of Al-Hawrani Hospital cannot be reduced to a disagreement between business partners. It stands as a case study in how “security conditions” and opaque administrative decrees can be deployed to dispossess citizens of long-held property under the cover of “secret orders.”
A central question now hangs over the case. Will the judiciary restore the hospital and its assets to their rightful owners, or will the institution remain a silent monument to one of the most sophisticated acts of organised pillage in Syria’s recent history?
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
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