Fathallah Saqqal

Fathallah Saqqal was a Syrian attorney, writer and government minister. He was well known for successfully arguing for Ibrahim Hananu's innocence in the French Mandatory courts in Syria regarding Hananu's participation in the Hananu Revolt between 1919 and 1921. Saqqal was born in Aleppo in 1898 to an Armenian Catholic family. He graduated from the French law school in Cairo, Egypt and practiced law in the Mixed Courts of Egypt before returning to Aleppo in 1919 to open his own practice. He defended Hananu during his four-day trial by the French Mandatory court in Aleppo between 15–18 March 1922. Saqqal produced for the court documents from Ankara that showed Hananu had been commanded by the Ottoman authorities to engage in war against the French in Syria. Saqqal also brought numerous Aleppine notables and religious figures to testify on Hananu's behalf, with their testimony generally painting a picture of Hananu as a patriot rather than a brigand rebel. Thus, Saqqal was able to persuade the court that Hananu had only been carrying out his military duties as an Ottoman soldier. The court acquitted Hananu on a three-two vote. His acquittal was widely celebrated in Aleppo and Syria. Saqqal later served as Minister of National Economy in the cabinet of Prime Minister Husni az-Za'im, who had overthrown President Shukri al-Quwatli in April 1949. Za'im's government lasted until Za'im was killed in August 1949. Saqqal published Za'im's memoirs, Min Dhikrayat al-Za'im Husni al-Za'im (Recollections on Colonel Husni az-Za'im) in Cairo in 1951. Following Syria's secession from the United Arab Republic, Saqqal was one of the signatories of Syria's new National Charter. He died on 27 March 1970 in his hometown, Aleppo.