Arbitrary arrest of Mr. Jean Rassoul

February 28, 2008

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Syria.

Description of the situation :

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the arbitrary arrest of Mr. Jean Rassoul, a member of the Committee of the Cereal Trade Union Branch in Tal Ziwan and famous for his commitment in favour of the defence of his fellow workmates in the Qamishli governorate, north east of Syria.

According to the information received, on February 26, 2008, a State security patrol arrested Mr. Rassoul on his way to work. Witnesses reported that Mr. Rassoul was arrested without warrant, and taken to an unknown place. As of issuing this urgent appeal, no information had been made available as to his place of detention.

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern about the arrest and subsequent enforced disappearance of Mr. Rassoul, and fears that it might be directly linked to the claims he made during the last cereal trade union conference, where he demanded that workers be granted more extensive milk and eggs quotas.

The Observatory also fears for Mr. Rassoul’s physical and psychological integrity as an increasing number of human rights defenders have been subjected to torture or ill-treatments by the authorities over the past years.

Actions requested:

Please write to the Syrian authorities, urging them to:

1. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Rassoul;
2. Locate Mr. Rassoul and order his immediate and unconditional release since his detention is arbitrary as it only aims at sanctioning his human rights activities;
3. Put an end to the harassment against all human rights defenders in the Syrian Arab Republic;
4. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, and Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration”;
5. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by the Syrian Arab Republic.

Addresses:

• President, His Excellency Bashar al-Assad, Presidential Palace, al-Rashid Street, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: + 963 11 332 3410
• Minister of Defence, His Excellency General, Hassan Ali Turkmani, Ministry of Defence, Omayyad Square, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: +963 11 223 7842
• Minister of Justice, His Excellency Muhammad al-Ghafari, Ministry of Justice, Al-Nasr Street, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: +963 11 666 2460
• Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Walid Mu’allim, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, al-Rashid Street, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: + 963 11 332 7620
• Ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to the UN in Geneva, 72 rue de Lausanne, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 738 42 75, Email: mission.syria@ties.itu.in
• Embassy and Mission to the European Union of the Syrian Arab Republic in Brussels, 1 avenue F.D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: + 32 2 648 14 85.

Paris-Geneva, February 28, 2008

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need. The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org
Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / +33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29