Former Syrian mayor expelled from Geneva hospital

The former mayor of Eastern Aleppo, who has been on hunger strike over the situation in Syria, has been expelled from a Geneva hospital and fined after a clash with staff. 

Brita Hagi Hassan was expelled from the Geneva University Hospital (HUG) on Monday by the hospital’s security service after fighting with staff, Keystone-SDA reported on Wednesday, confirming an earlier story by the Tribune de Genève newspaper. Two Geneva security agents have filed a complaint against him. 

The Syrian activist came to Geneva last Friday, where he started demonstrating outside the United Nations European headquarters. He has reportedly been on hunger strike for almost a month in protest at bombings by the Syrian army and Russian air force on Idlib, the last remaining bastion for anti-government rebels after eight years of civil war. 

An ambulance took him to the HUG on Monday afternoon, as he had not been feeling well. According to a HUG spokesman, once at the hospital the former mayor became extremely agitated and got out of control, disrupting patients and staff. 

Hospital security guards reportedly escorted him off the premises and were obliged to use force to control him. Two of Hassan’s friends also reportedly attacked two HUG employees. 

According to the Tribune de Genève, Hassan was released by police on Tuesday. He has since returned to France, where he has asylum. 

Hassan was in the media spotlight at the end of 2016 when he made a desperate plea for help as Russian-backed Syrian government forces tighten the noose around the crumbling rebel stronghold of Aleppo. At the time, he was received in Brussels, Geneva and by French President François Hollande.