Funeral for Indian-origin doctor killed in Syria held in UK

The funeral of a 32-year-old Indian-origin British doctor who died under mysterious circumstances in a Syrian prison was held here today.
Shah Abbas Khan was days from being freed when the Syrian government announced on December 17 that he had committed suicide.
His family, however, believes he was murdered.
His body was flown back to London on Sunday and a second autopsy took place earlier this week. An inquest into the death will open at Walthamstow Coroner's Court tomorrow.
At a packed funeral prayer service at Regent's Park Mosque in central London, his brother Shahnawaz said, "Last night, I sat down to undertake the morbid task of writing a eulogy for my brother.

"My brother, to us, was our star - his star shone on our family."

Khan's body was buried at Ilford following the service.
After the funeral prayers, family lawyer Nabeel Sheikh said, "The process of the inquest will start tomorrow and will conclude in due course after which we will consider what legal avenues are open to us to conclude this matter, and hopefully find some form of justice if that exists in this case."
The orthopaedic surgeon from south London was arrested in November last year by troops of President Bashar al-Assad within 48 hours of entering Syria to work in a field hospital in the rebel-controlled city of Aleppo.

Khan entered Syria without a visa, and later told his family he was "accused of treating dying civilians (women and children), which has been classed as an act of terrorism".
His family has said they possess a letter in which Khan talked of his optimism at being released, and his hopes of being home in time for Christmas.
British Prime Minister David Cameron wrote to Khan's mother Fatima last week, calling his death a "sickening and appalling tragedy".
The UK Foreign Office has said the doctor had been "in effect murdered" by the Syrian authorities and at best his death was "extremely suspicious".

Khan's family has criticised the British government for not doing more to secure Khan's release. His distraught mother, Fatima, was comforted by family members after the funeral.
The Syrian government has said Khan's family is welcome to send a team to Damascus to investigate his death.
Khan is survived by his wife, a seven-year-old daughter and a six-year-old son.