Trial of the student Waleed Hussein adjourned
Waleed Hussein appeared before the individual military judge in Qamishli on 22 February 2010, and his case was adjourned for sentencing until 23 March 2010. This hearing was for the defence to put his case, and was attended by his lawyer Mohammad Ashraf al- Cino, member of the Board of Trustees of the Kurdish organization for the defence of human rights and public freedoms in Syria – DAD.
Kurdish organization for the defence of human rights and public freedoms in Syria – DAD
22 February 2010
Previous report: http://supportkurds.org/news/waleed-hussein-student-detained-april-2008-trial-adjourned-until-22-february-2010/
Arrest of two more Kurdish men in Syria
Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria al-Rased has been informed by sources close to the families of the detainees –
• Montaser Ahmed Khalaf, a photographer and owner of a computer café in Amuda
• Alan Ahmed Hussein, the owner of a flower shop
- that these men were detained by detained by a state security patrol from Qamishli on 18 February 2010 without a court order and with no explanation of the reasons for their detention.
We in the Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria al-Rased call upon the Syrian authorities to release the detainees, or bring them to the competent judicial authorities to properly charge them. We call for the authorities to stop making arbitrary arrests, which are contrary to the Syrian Constitution, and which violate all international conventions on human rights that have been signed by Syria
Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria al-Rased
Amuda
22 February 2010
The continuing State of Emergency in Syria
Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria al-Rased reports that Mohammed Salih Khalil, a member of the Political Bureau of the Democratic Kurdish Party in Syria al-Party appeared before the military court in Aleppo on 18 February 2010. He has been charged with membership of a secret organisation under Article 288 of the Syrian Penal Code, case no. 271, and is being held in the Central Prison in Aleppo. His case was adjourned to 25 March 2010.
Mohammed Salih was born in Afrin in 1953, and lives in Aleppo. He was arrested on 11 November 2009 by a patrol of military security, and has been held at the Palestine Branch of military security in Damascus since that time, until his recent transfer to Aleppo Central Prison.
We in the al-Rased Committee for Human Rights in Syria condemn this unfair trial against Mohammed Salih Khalil. We call upon the Syrian authorities to stop referring civilians to military courts under the State of Emergency. We express our concern about the clear lack of independence and impartiality of the judiciary, which constitutes a continuing violation of fundamental freedoms and judicial independence that was guaranteed by the Syrian Constitution, and confirmed by international covenants on human rights that have been signed and ratified by the Syrian Government.
We support a democratic dialogue to work towards a solution for Syria.
The Information Office of the Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria al-Rased – Aleppo
21 February 2010
Killed for singing a Kurdish folk song in Turkey
ANKARA, — Young man Emrah Gezer was killed because of a Kurdish folk song. Kurdish politicians and artists experience backlashes for using the Kurdish language despite the easing of regulations in the context of the democratic initiative.
On the International Mother Language Day, Turkey is a country where its citizens have to fear for the safety of their lives when singing a song in their native language on the street.
Young man Emrah Gezer was killed by a former special operations police officer in Ankara in the course of a birthday party celebrated in a bar because he sang a Kurdish song. Read more
Rising Conflict in Iranian Kurdistan
One of the most under-reported human rights issues in Iran is the current state of Kurdish political prisoners, and in particular, the current eighteen political prisoners who are on death row and may be facing imminent execution. Unfortunately, serious consequences and escalated conflict may be imminent if the conditions continue to be ignored.
While a few of the individuals on death row such as Farzad Kamangar, Zeynab Jalaliyan and Habibollah Latifi, have received some international attention, most of the Kurdish political prisoners facing execution are virtually unknown. There are currently eighteen Kurdish political prisoners on death row, two of whom are women. All of these individuals were subjected to torture and “tried” behind closed doors in sham trials, and in most cases, without the presence of their lawyers. Read more
Hassan Saleh sentenced to imprisonment in his absence in Syria
The Individual Military Judge in Qamishli sentenced Hassan Saleh in his absence, to a one year term of imprisonment on 16 February 2010. Hassan Saleh is a member of the Political Committee of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. He was sentenced on charges of belonging to a secret and banned organisation, and inciting sectarianism and racism. The Judge then reduced the term to eight months.
The Individual Military Judge in Qamishli also gave sentences of six months imprisonment to Shahbaz Nazir Ismail, and Swar Abdul Rahman Darwish on charges of possession of publications belonging to the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. Their sentences were reduced to four months by the Judge. Read more
Sentencing of four Kurdish men in Syria
The individual military judge in Qamishli issued the following sentences on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 in case No. 137 of 2010:
Imprisonment for a period of six months and a fine of one hundred Syrian pounds on each of:
- Ali Mohammad Masoom Ma’mo, born 1959 from Derbasir town;
- Salar Hussain Ahmed, born 1990, from Hassakeh City;
- Mohammad Nawaf al-Mohammad, born 1991, from Hassakeh city;
- Bangi Sheikh Musa Sheikhmous, born 1978, from Amuda town. Read more
Dozens of Kurdish BDP Members Arrested – Again
In operations carried out in eleven provinces last weekend the police arrested more than 100 people, most of them members of the Peace and Democracy Party. Of all people arrested in Hakkari, 15 persons were taken into detention.
The police carried out operations on 12 and 13 February in the cities of Adana, Diyarbakir, Van, Siirt, Batman, Mardin, Gaziantep, Sanliurfa, Mus and Istanbul on 12 an13 February. According to Firat News Agency, more than 200 people were arrested, Anatolian Agency and TRT speak of more than 100 people. 32 people were arrested in the province of Hakkari in the south-eastern corner of the country, 15 of them were taken into detention on Sunday (14 February) under charges of “membership of the PKK“, the militant Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Read more
Report from Kurdwatch
Al Qamishli: Former PKK militant must continue to await a verdict February 13, 2010 – On February 9, 2010, the single military judge in al Qamishli postponed the decision in the case of Mihemed Selahedîn el Moso (b. 1985) until April 12, 2010. For unknown reasons, el Moso had not been brought to the hearing from al Qamishli prison, causing the postponement.
In 2002, former PKK militant el Moso left the PKK after a two year membership and returned to Syria from Iraq. He promised several families there that for a suitable fee he would bring their sons and daughters back to Syria from the Kandil Mountains (Kurdistan Iraq), the location of the PKK military bases. It later emerged that he had deceived the families. Consequently, members of the State Security in al Hasakah arrested him on August 23, 2009. Due to his earlier membership in the PKK, el Moso was charged with membership of an illegal party pursuant to Articles 307 and 308 of the Criminal Code. Read more
Two Kurds released in Syria
The individual military judge in Qamishli has freed Zubair Hassan and his son Mahmud Zubair Hassan. They were arrested by security forces for possessing Kurdish publications.
Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF welcome the release of these people and calls for the abolition of the State of Emergency and martial law, which has been used to allow arbitrary arrests. We demand the release all prisoners of conscience in Syria’s prisons
13 February 2010
