Syria Today | Murderer of Lawand Hajo arrested

Murderer of Lawand Hajo arrested

Mouthher M. confessed to the murder and robbery of Syrian choreographer Lawand Hajo on November 24.

According to Syrian News Agency SANA, Mouthher, a former dancer at Hajo’s Ramad dance group, cut Hajo’s throat, then burned his corpse and the house to destroy all evidence.

Mouthher confessed that he was staying at Hajo’s house on the night of the murder, November 12, and that he wanted to steal SYP 55,800 (USD 1,200) in cash, a laptop, two mobiles and a digital camera from Hajo while he was sleeping. When Hajo suddenly woke up, Mouthher allegedly killed him and set the house on fire after collecting the money and the items he wanted to steal. Police said they found the stolen items, which will be presented in court.

“The murderer knew Hajo for five years and danced in his group for a while,” Jamal Beitar, head of the security department in Damascus suburbs, told SANA. “They spent the night in a café in the Jaramana area before going to Hajo’s house where the murderer killed Hajo.”

Dancers at Hajo’s Ramad dance group however told Syria Today they had never heard of Mouthher and suspect that he was not a friend of Hajo’s.

Hajo, 33, was considered one of the most important Syrian choreographers. He won several international prizes, in China and Japan among others. Hajo’s latest dance performance Effusion, which was scheduled for performance at the Dar al-Assad Opera a few days after his murder, was performed on December 20 by his group Ramad Dance as a tribute to him.