●Execution of Antoun Saadeh

Saadeh was the founder of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party. Several clashes broke out between party members and the authorities during the March 1949 celebrations, and after the annulled parliamentary elections Saadeh fled to Damascus. Husni al-Zaim received him, then a month later handed him over to the Lebanese authorities in a deal struck on 7 July 1949; he was tried and executed at dawn on 8 July 1949.