Death of Syrian Opposition Figure Michel Kilo from COVID-19

Opposition politicians said on Monday that prominent Syrian opposition figure Michel Kilo, a writer whose opposition to his country's leadership led to his imprisonment, died in France from COVID-19. Kilo, a Christian in his early eighties from the city of Latakia, engaged in opposition early in the conflict that began nearly ten years ago in Syria, which escalated after a crackdown on mass protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Before moving into exile, Kilo attempted to work within the confines of the Syrian political system, which has been dominated by the Ba'ath Party for decades.