A Syrian diplomat at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva confirmed on Monday that he had left his post to join the opposition, according to Swiss media, dpa reported.
Danny al-Baaj said he had been planning his defection for some time, and that he had been in contact with an opposition group.
Al-Baaj is one of the first Syrian envoys in Europe to switch sides.
"I sensed that I could no longer be of service to my country from the government side," he told Swiss news agency SDA.