Riad Seif (Arabic: رياض سيف; born 25 November 1946)[1] is a Syrian political dissident and prominent businessman who founded and led the Forum for National Dialogue.
Around this time he also questioned the monopoly on the new cellular telephone system granted to the family of Hafez al-Assad's wife Anisa Makhlouf.
[7] Charged with "defying the state and trying to change the constitution by illegal means," he was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison and released in January 2006.
Later that year, with support from the United States and Qatar, he published a proposal for creating a broader structure that would provide more effective leadership for the opposition and establish connection with the grassroots revolutionary movements within the country.
[12] After 10 months, Seif resigned as president of the coalition, due to health issues and clashes with his vice-president, Abdurrahman Mustafa.