Syria
13.02.04
Urgent Interventions
Syria : Ongoing harassment against human rights defender
Paris, Geneva- February 13th, 2004 – The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint program of OMCT and FIDH) expresses its concern about new acts of harassment and intimidation against Mr. Akhtam Naisse, the President of the Committees for the Defense of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria (CDF).
According to the CDF and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), in the late afternoon of February 11th, Mr. Akhtam Naisse, was summoned to report to the so-called "al-Mintaqa" offices of the military secret service in Damascus. Mr. Naisse was detained and interrogated by two high ranking military officers until after midnight. He was released on February 12th in the early afternoon.
The military secret services accused Mr. Naisse and CDF of having illegal contacts and being "the workers of Europe, USA and Israel". They based their accusations on conversations tapped from Mr. Naisse's telephone, which is allegedly under surveillance by the Syrian authorities. The arrest followed an on-line petition "To end the state of emergency in Syria" launched by the CDF at the end of January 2004. The military secret service officers said that the number of signatories, more than 3500, was a sign that CDF had illegal international contacts.
During the detention, the military officers verbally harassed Mr. Naisse, who is due to travel abroad in a couple of days. The officers threatened not to allow him to leave Syria, or if he does, that he might not be allowed to return. They also suggested that other things or accidents " might happen".
The Observatory recalls that the CDF members, including Akhtam Naisse, are regularly called in by the police to be questioned about their activities and are systematically harassed (police surveillance, telephone-tapping, confiscation of mail and pressure on their families). In addition, the CDF are still not legally recognized.
The Observatory calls on the Syrian authorities to end acts of harassment against Akhtam Naisse, to guarantee, in all circumstances, his freedom of movement, and to stop any kind of repression against Syrian human rights defenders. In particular, the Observatory urges the Syrian authorities to conform with Article 1 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which provides that “[e]veryone 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 8.2, which ensure the right “to submit to governmental bodies and agencies and organizations concerned with public affairs criticism and proposals for improving their functioning and to draw attention to any aspect of their work that may hinder or impede the promotion, protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Observatory finally calls Syrian authorities to conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights as well as with international human rights instruments ratified by Syria.
For more information, please contact :
OMCT: 00 41 22 809 49 24 - FIDH: 00 33 1 43 55 25 18
According to the CDF and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN), in the late afternoon of February 11th, Mr. Akhtam Naisse, was summoned to report to the so-called "al-Mintaqa" offices of the military secret service in Damascus. Mr. Naisse was detained and interrogated by two high ranking military officers until after midnight. He was released on February 12th in the early afternoon.
The military secret services accused Mr. Naisse and CDF of having illegal contacts and being "the workers of Europe, USA and Israel". They based their accusations on conversations tapped from Mr. Naisse's telephone, which is allegedly under surveillance by the Syrian authorities. The arrest followed an on-line petition "To end the state of emergency in Syria" launched by the CDF at the end of January 2004. The military secret service officers said that the number of signatories, more than 3500, was a sign that CDF had illegal international contacts.
During the detention, the military officers verbally harassed Mr. Naisse, who is due to travel abroad in a couple of days. The officers threatened not to allow him to leave Syria, or if he does, that he might not be allowed to return. They also suggested that other things or accidents " might happen".
The Observatory recalls that the CDF members, including Akhtam Naisse, are regularly called in by the police to be questioned about their activities and are systematically harassed (police surveillance, telephone-tapping, confiscation of mail and pressure on their families). In addition, the CDF are still not legally recognized.
The Observatory calls on the Syrian authorities to end acts of harassment against Akhtam Naisse, to guarantee, in all circumstances, his freedom of movement, and to stop any kind of repression against Syrian human rights defenders. In particular, the Observatory urges the Syrian authorities to conform with Article 1 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which provides that “[e]veryone 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 8.2, which ensure the right “to submit to governmental bodies and agencies and organizations concerned with public affairs criticism and proposals for improving their functioning and to draw attention to any aspect of their work that may hinder or impede the promotion, protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The Observatory finally calls Syrian authorities to conform with the provisions of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights as well as with international human rights instruments ratified by Syria.
For more information, please contact :
OMCT: 00 41 22 809 49 24 - FIDH: 00 33 1 43 55 25 18