Khaled al-Ayoubi
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Khaled al-Ayoubi is a former Syrian diplomat. On 30 July 2012, he informed the Britain's Foreign Office that he left his post as Chargé d'Affaires in the Syrian embassy in London.[1][2] He was the most senior Syrian diplomat left in London after the British government forced embassy staff to leave in May.
Al-Ayoubi, an ethnic Kurd,[3][4] was born in Damascus in about 1971.[3] He studied at Damascus University and worked as a computer technician at the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs before undertaking further study from 1995 to 1999.[3] He joined the Syrian diplomatic service in 2001.[4][5] He was posted to Greece as consul from 2003-2008,[6] and then returned to Syria.[3] In February 2011, he was posted to the Syrian embassy in London as second secretary,[4][7] and became chargé d'affaires after his predecessor was expelled in May 2012.[4]
Al-Ayoubi claimed that he left because he was unable to: "represent a regime that has committed such violent and oppressive acts against its own people", according to an interview.[2][7][8][9] His departure was characterized as another blow to the Syrian government.[2][10]
Following his resignation, al-Ayoubi and his family were provided with a safe house by the Foreign Office,[2][7] and then moved to Barnsley, South Yorkshire,[11] where al-Ayoubi volunteers at the Barnsley Refugee Advice Project,[3][11][12] keeps budgerigars,[3][11] and gardens.[12]
