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Anti-Assad activist killed in suspected axe murder in Germany

Millions of Syrians have been displaced since the start of the civil war  - REUTERS
Millions of Syrians have been displaced since the start of the civil war - REUTERS

The death of a Syrian activist in a brutal killing in Hamburg has raised questions over whether he was targeted for his opposition to the regime of president Bashar al-Assad. 

Mohamed Joune was found on a busy Hamburg street on Wednesday evening covered in blood. One of his fingers had been cut off and he had multiple injuries to his face and body. According to local reports he appeared to have been attacked with an axe. He was rushed to hospital but later died of his injuries.

The 48-year-old was found in the street outside the offices of the Union of Syrians Abroad, a non-profit organisation he ran to provide humanitarian support to victims of the civil war in Syria, and to offer support to Syrian refugees living outside the country.

He had lived in Germany for years and ran a pharmacy in Hamburg, where he also owned several properties.

Police have appealed for anyone who has information to come forward, and say they are currently investigating “in all directions”.

The Union of Syrians Abroad’s website focuses on humanitarian aid for victims of the Syrian civil war rather than support for any faction.

But a friend of the dead man told Bild newspaper he believed Mr Joune may have been killed for his opposition to the Assad regime.

“The likelihood is that Mohammed was killed for his political activities,” the newspaper quoted the unnamed friend as saying.

Mr Joune recently terminated a property contract with a Syrian after he discovered the man’s father had served in the Syrian army, the friend claimed. “He discovered a video of the tenant’s father in Assad’s army,” he said.

Before his death, Mr Joune was said to be planning a demonstration to mark the eighth anniversary of the uprising against the Assad regime.

Discarded clothes and shoes were found in a rubbish bin close to the spot where Mr Joune was found on Thursday, fuelling speculation they may have been dumped by the killer. Police said it was not clear if they were connected to the case.