Continuing incommunicado detention of Mr. Issam Zaghloul

SYR013 / 1011 / OBS 117

Incommunicado detention /

Fear for physical integrity

Syria

October 19, 2011

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

Description of the situation :

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sourcesabout the continuing incommunicado detention of Mr. Issam Zaghloul, a lawyer who has denouncedthe deadly repression of the peaceful protest movement in Syria and therepression of lawyers.

According to the information received, in the night ofAugust 23, 2011, Mr. Issam Zaghloul was arbitrarily arrested by members of theAir Force Intelligence Services at his home in Darya, Damascus. This arrest followed the participation of Mr. IssamZaghloul in a silent sit-in of lawyers organised on the same day in front ofthe Syrian Bar Association to denounce its silence with respect to the deadlyrepression of the peaceful protest movement and the arrest of numerous lawyersin Syria since March 2011. Mr. Zaghloul also participated in various actionsaimed at denouncing the repression.

Mr. Zaghloul has been detained incommunicado fornearly two months in the headquarters of the Air Force Intelligence Services inDamascus without access to his lawyer and family. No information has been givenby the authorities about his condition nor the existence of charges againsthim. According to reliable sources, the health of Mr. Zaghloul would haveseriously deteriorated over the past weeks. In addition, in the context of awidespread resort to torture and ill-treatment against activists, theObservatory seriously fears for the moral and physical integrity of Mr. IssamZaghloul.

The Observatory strongly condemns the continuedincommunicado detention of Mr. Zaghloul, as thismeasure seems to merely aim at punishing him for his human rights activities,and urges the authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally.

Actions requested:

Please write to the Syrian authorities urging them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances thephysical and psychological integrity of Mr. Issam Zaghloul;

ii. Release immediately andunconditionally Mr. Issam Zaghloul;

iii. Put an end to any kindof harassment – including at the judicial level – against Mr. Issam Zaghloul aswell as against all other individuals who monitor human rights violations;

iv. Conform with the provisions of theUN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly ofthe United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially:

- its Article 1, whichstates that “everyone has the right, individually and in association withothers, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of humanrights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”,

- its Article 6 (b) and(c), which states that “Everyone has the right, individually and in associationwith others […] as provided for in human rights and other applicableinternational instruments, freely to publish, impart or disseminate to othersviews, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedomsand [...] to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance, both inlaw and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and, throughthese and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those matters”.

- and its Article 12.2,which provides that “the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure theprotection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and inassociation with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de factoor de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as aconsequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in thepresent Declaration”;

v. Ensure in all circumstances respectfor human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with internationalhuman rights standards and international instruments ratified by the SyrianArab Republic.

Addresses :

· President, His Excellency Bashar al-Assad, Presidential Palace, alRashid Street, Damascus, Syria Arab Republic, Fax: +963 11 332 3410

· Minister of Defence, His Excellency General, Ali Habib Mahmud, Ministryof Defence, O mayyad Square, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: +963 11 2237842

· Minister of Justice, His Excellency Mr. Tayzeer Qala Awwad, Damascus,Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: +963 11 666 2460

· Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Wallid Mu’allim, Ministryof Foreign Affairs, al-Rashid Street, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: +96311 332 7620

· Ambassador Bashar Ja'afari, Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to UN in Geneva, 72 ruede Lausanne, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 738 42 75, Email: mission.syria@ties.itu.int

· Embassy the Syrian Arab Republic in Brussels, 1 avenue F.D. Roosevelt,1050 Brussels, Belgium, Tel: +32 2 554 19 22; Fax: +32 2 648 14 85

Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassyof the Syrian Arabic Republic in your respective country.

***

Paris-Geneva, October 19, 2011

Kindlyinform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in yourreply.

Tocontact the Observatory, call the emergency line:

• E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 2518 / +33 1 43 55 18 80

• Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49 29