Kurdish human rights activist arrested in Qamishli

Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF , Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD and Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria – al-Rased report the arrest of Walid Mahmoud Youssef, member of the Board of Trustees of the Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, in Qamishli on 23 December 2010. He is a pharmacist and was taken from a doctor’s clinic on the prextext of an inquiry about some personal matters. Since that time there has been no information of his whereabouts or the reasons for his arrest, and he has been isolated from the outside world. Walid Mahmoud Youssef , born 1971, is a graduate of the Faculty of Pharmacy in the former Soviet Union. He lives in Qamishli with his wife and three children. Read more

Another arrest of a Kurdish man in Syria

Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD and Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD report that Hassan Abdel-Kader Nassan was arrested by Security Services in the province of Aleppo, on 27 September 2010.  Hassan Abdel-Kader Nassan,  born in 1979, and from Afrin is isolated from the outside world, and there is no information about where he is, why he was arrested or the reason for his detention. Read more

Human Rights organisations call for immediate enquiry into Newroz killings

Similar reports about the killings of Kurds at the Newroz celebration in al-Raqqa, Syria have been received from the following human rights organisations:

Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria al-Rased

Kurdish organization for the defence of human rights and public freedoms in Syria – DAD

Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF

SKS joins with these organisations to very strongly condemn the Syrian State, and to hold it accountable for the killing of Kurds in cold blood while they are celebrating their New Year.

We demand that those who were injured today be given appropriate treatment for their injuries and that they are released immediately.

These human rights organisations are demanding that the Syrian Government immediately orders an investigation into the events in al-Raqqa to be undertaken by a neutral authority.

[Update] The Alliance for Kurdish Rights joins this call: http://kurdishrights.org/2010/03/22/syrian-authorities-fire-at-kurds-celebrating-norouz-killing-3-and-injuring-over-40

Kurdish detainees – trial adjourned to 2 March 2010

Kurdish organization for the defence of human rights and public freedoms in Syria – DAD reports that the individual military judge in Qamishli held a new trial in relation to case no. 176 of 2010, on 4 February 2010 in relation to the following detainees:

• Ahmed Abdullah Taj
• Yassin Sheikhmous Mohammed
• Mohammad Sharif Mohammad
• Fuad Ahmed Mourad
• Mohamed Mustafa

This hearing was for the defence to put its case, and after a written statement was read and filed, the judge adjourned the case to 2 March 2010 so that the papers could be verified and studied. These people have been charged with the offence of belonging to a secret and illegal organisation. Read more

Jamal Sadoun is released

According to Kurdish Organization for the Defence of Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, the Individual Military Judge in Qamishli decided to release the Kurdish musician Jamal Sadoun on 4 February 2010.

Previous reports:

http://supportkurds.org/news/jamal-sadoun-remains-in-detention-in-syria-others-are-released/

http://supportkurds.org/news/reports/yasa-report-october-2009/

http://supportkurds.org/news/trials-process-for-kurdish-activists-in-syria/

http://www.freemuse.org/sw36249.asp

Trials process for Kurdish activists in Syria

On Sunday, 17 January 2010, the individual military judge in Qamishli, Syria gave the following decisions in the cases of Kurdish political detainees:

In case number 156 of 2010:

The judge asked the four men for their most recent statements and then delivered the following sentences in relation to:

• Khalil Ibrahim Mohammed,
• Mohammed Shekho Issa,
• Abdel-Salam Sheikhmous Mahmoud,
• Rami Sheikmous al-Hassan.

The men were arbitrarily arrested without warrants or court orders in mid-March 2009 during a vigil in memory of the victims of the Halabja massacre in 1988.  They were released in late April 2009. Read more

Khalid Kanjo is released from prison in Syria

Kurdish organisation for the defence of human rights and general liberties in Syria – DAD reports the release of Khalid Kanjo who was detained, when the Individual Military Judge Court in Qamishli said that that he had been confused with someone else. The decision was made on 30 December 2009 but he was released on 3 January 2010.

Khalid Kanjo had been deported from Germany to Syria, based on the security agreement signed between the two countries regarding the deportation of refused asylum seekers. He had been charged with ‘broadcasting false news that would bring the Syrian State into disrepute’, in case number 3813/2009.

The Kurdish organisation for the defence of human rights and general liberties in Syria – DAD welcome the release of Khalid Kanjo. We call for the Syrian authorities to stop arbitrarily detaining political activists and using physical and psychological torture against detainees; and the abolition of the State of Emergency and martial law. We want the freedom of democracy, together with a law allowing the operation of political parties, and the release of all political prisoners.

Previous report: http://supportkurds.org/news/khalid-kanjo-deported-from-germany-trial-adjourned-in-syria

Kurdish organisation for the defence of human rights and general liberties in Syria – DAD

3 January 2010

Kurdish student arrested without a warrant, in Syria – computer confiscated

Hivraz Mohammed Amin Hassan, a Kurdish university student, was arrested by a patrol of military security officers who raided his house in Ramelan town, in Hassaka province on Monday 14 December 2009, according to the Kurdish organisation for the defence of human rights and general liberties in Syria – DAD. His computer equipment was confiscated, along with other personal belongings. They had no judicial warrant and this raid was illegal. There has been no information about him since the arrest.

DAD has also issued a statement condemning the detention of Hivraz Mohammed Amin Hassan, and the breaching of the fundamental rights that were enshrined in 1973, in the Syrian constitution. It also violates Syria’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified on 12 April 1969, which came into force on 23 March 1976, specifically articles 9, 14, 19, 21 and 22. They condemn the arbitrary arrests of |Kurds that are taking place under the State of Emergency.

DAD calls for the legitimisation of human rights organisations and political parties in Syria so that they can speak out about human rights abuses, and bring these matters to the public attention without fear of retribution.