Tuesday 7 June 2011

Syrian Uprising 2011 Information Centre
SUMMARY (7/6/11): The French and UK foreign ministers both suggested that Assad is losing his legitimacy while Syria’s Ambassador in France Lamia Shukkour may or may not have resigned! Meanwhile, military reinforcements have been sent to Jisr ash-Shughur to deal with the threat posed by “armed gangs”. The locals, hundreds of whom have fled into Turkey, tell a different story. See the map for more videos and updates.Syria – Tuesday 07/06/2011 Read more

Kurds denied access to lawyers ahead of trial

Further information on UA: 26/10 Index: MDE 24/010/2011 Syria

Date: 11 March 2011
Three Kurdish prisoners of conscience, on trial before a Syrian special court since 6 June 2010, remain without access to their lawyers ahead of their next court hearing on 13 March 2011. The men’s lawyers have announced that they are now boycotting the trial in protest. Read more

URGENT ACTION new fears for activists as trial approaches

Three Kurdish political activists remain incommunicado after more than one year in detention. The third session of their trial, postponed from 19 October when the men were inexplicably not brought to the hearing, is due to be on 6 February. They remain at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Hassan Saleh, Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed and Muhammad Ahmed Mustafa are all senior members of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria, which has not been legally authorized by the Syrian authorities. According to their lawyers, they are currently held at the political wing in ‘Adra prison near Damascus, the capital. They have been held incommunicado for more than 13 months, following their arrest on 26 December 2009.

The three men are being tried by the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), an exceptional court whose proceedings fall far short of international fair trial standards. They are charged with “aiming at separating part of the Syrian lands” and “joining an international political or social organization”, apparently for calling for the Kurdish areas of Syria to be granted autonomy during their party’s conference on 3 December 2009. On the basis of this new information, Amnesty International has concluded that the men are prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression and association.

The men’s trial before the SSSC began on 6 June. A second session was held on 20 July, following which their lawyers reported that the men appeared exhausted and frail in court. Their failure to be brought to the hearing on 19 October heightens concerns for their well-being. All three men suffer from various ailments: Hassan Saleh and Muhammad Ahmed Mustafa both require regular medication for thyroid and other problems and Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed suffers from a slipped disc in his back. It is not known if they have access to medication. Read more

Kurdish Yekiti Party leaders’ court hearing fixed for 6 February 2011

Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD  reports  that

• Hassan Saleh
• Muhammad Mustafa
• Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed

the three leaders of the Kurdish Yekiti Party who have been in detention for more than a year will come to trial before the Supreme State Security Court in Damascus, on 6 February 2011 in  case number 69 of 2011.

24 January 2011 Read more

Trial of three Kurdish Yekiti Party leaders is postponed

According to Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD, the trial of three leading members of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria was scheduled to take place at the Supreme State Security Court in Damascus on 30 November 2010 in case number 184 of 2010, to enable the prosecution to present its case:

• Hassan Saleh
• Muhammad Mustafa
• Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed

The Court postponed the hearing, without identifying a return date for the case. This is not the first time that the trial has been postponed without a legal justification, and this leads to prolonging of the trial process which causes serious harm to these men. Read more

Trial of three Kurdish Yekiti Party leaders continues in Syria

Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF and Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD and Kurdish Committee for Human Rights in Syria – al-Rased report that three leaders of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria were on trial at the Supreme State Security Court in Damascus on Tuesday, 19 October 2010 in case number 184of 2010:

• Hassan Saleh
• Muhammad Mustafa
• Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed

The trial was postponed to 30 November 2010 to enable the prosecution to present its case. 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

Kurdish leaders detained for advocating Kurdish autonomy in Syria

Hassan Ibrahim Saleh is a member of the political committee of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. He was born in 1947, and is married with eight children. He is a retired teacher with a degree in geography. He is a resident of the town of Qamishli – Hasakah province.

Mohamed Mustapha is a member of the Political Committee of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. He was born in 1962, and is married with one daughter. He is a lawyer and a former detainee. He is a resident of the town of Qamishli – Hasakah province.

Maroof Mulla Ahmed is a member of the Political Committee of Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria. He was born in 1952, and is married with four children. He has a high school diploma, and is also a former detainee. He is a resident of the town of Qamishli – Hasakah province.

Anwar Nasso is a political activist. He was born in 1962, and is married with three children. He is an artist, and holds a qualification in agricultural studies from college, and he is employed. He is also a former detainee, and is a resident of Amuda town in Hasakah province. Read more