Tag: political prisoners

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Three Kurdish detainees released in Syria

MAD logoSyrian Human Rights Committee – MAD reports that the Syrian authorities have released three political detainees, who have been imprisoned since 17 January 2010:

Sheikh Ahmed Hamou
Mohammed Sheikh Mohammed
Ez al-Din Sheikhi Mustafa

Their release is welcomed. MAD calls for the release of all political prisoners, and the abolition of trials under the State of Emergency.

Syrian Human Rights Committee – MAD, al-Raqqa

22 June 2010

Original report: http://supportkurds.org/news/three-kurds-arrested-in-syria/

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Mahmoud Safo, member of Kurdish Left Party, Syria sentenced to one year

mah-safo00According to Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD,  Mahmoud Safo who was arrested on 28 March 2010 was sentenced on 20 June 2010 by an individual military judge in Qamishli to one year imprisonment, for inciting racial and sectarian hatred, and for being a leader of a secret unlicensed association. He is a member of the Political Bureau of the Kurdish Left Party.

Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD continues to call for an end to arbitrary detention, and the release of all political prisoners and prisoners of opinion. We want to see democratic freedom and the abolition of the state of emergency and martial law, and respect for international conventions and covenants on human rights, so that the Syrian citizen can live in peace, freedom and tranquility.

Kurdish Organization for Defending Human Rights and Public Freedoms in Syria – DAD,  21 June 2010

Previous report: http://supportkurds.org/news/kurdish-political-activist-mahmoud-safo-has-been-arrested

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Spanish campaign raises awareness of Kurdish political prisoners in Syria

ZinarIn late January of this year a letter addressed to the President of the Government of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was registered at the Moncloa Palace, the official seat of the Ministry of the Presidency. The letter outlined the plight of Kurdish political prisoners in Syria and asked for Spain’s assistance.

…we respectfully request your intervention with the Syrian government, with whom the Spanish government has excellent political relations, to recognise the state in which political prisoners in Syrian jails find themselves, and to request the release of all prisoners of conscience, seeking especially to investigate reports of torture and ill-treatment and, in its relations with the Syrian authorities, demand that international norms are respected in the treatment of prisoners. Continue reading “Spanish campaign raises awareness of Kurdish political prisoners in Syria”

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URGENT ACTION Three men held incommunicado risk torture

Amnesty InternationalAnwer Naso, Hassan Saleh, Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed and Muhammad Ahmed Mustafa are all reported to have been brought before a military prosecutor in Damascus on 19 April. Anwer Naso was released without charge three days later, on 22 April, but the three others remain in detention apparently under investigation.

Hassan Saleh, Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed and Muhammad Ahmed Mustafa, all senior members of the Kurdish Yekiti Party in Syria, which has not been legally authorized by the Syrian authorities, were arrested in late December 2009, together with Anwer Naso. They were held in solitary confinement for nine days by Political Security officials in al-Hasakah, north-east Syria, and interrogated, then transferred to Political Security’s al-Fayha’ branch in Damascus on 4 January, 2010. Continue reading “URGENT ACTION Three men held incommunicado risk torture”

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Concluding observations of the UN Committee against Torture SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC

UNlogoCommittee against Torture
Forty-fourth session
26 April – 14 May 2010
Consideration of reports submitted by States parties under article 19 of the convention
ADVANCE UNEDITED VERSION
Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture


SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
1. The Committee against Torture considered the initial report of Syrian Arab Republic (CAT/C/SYR/1) at its 937th and 939th meetings (CAT/C/SR.937 and 939), held on 3 and 4 May 2010, and adopted, at its 951st meeting (CAT/C/SR.951), the following concluding observations.

A. Introduction
2. The Committee welcomes the submission of the initial report of Syria, which, while generally following the Committee’s guidelines for reporting, lacks statistical and practical information on the implementation of the provisions of the Convention and relevant domestic legislation. However, the Committee regrets that the report was submitted 5 years late which prevented the Committee from conducting an analysis of the implementation of the Convention in the State party following its ratification in 2004. Continue reading “Concluding observations of the UN Committee against Torture SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC”

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Six young Kurdish men arrested in Qamishli, Syria

MAD logoKurdish youths were arrested by state security and military security in Qamishli during the months of March and April and are still unaccounted for since they were taken to Damascus. There is no information about the reasons for their detention or the charges against them.
The young men are:,

  • Rasho Abbas Ibrahim – born in 1990 – arrested by state security on 28 March 2010
  • Shivan Faramz Hussein – born in 1989 – arrested by state security on 2 April 2010
  • Bangin Mohammed Amin Antar – arrested by state security on 2 April 2010
  • Ageed Innad Khalaf – born in 1994 – arrested by military security on 12 March 2010
  • Mohamed Fawaz Khalaf – born in 1991 – arrested by military security on 12 March 2010
  • Mohiuddin Ahmed Mahmoud – born in 1992 – arrested by military security 12 March 2010. Continue reading “Six young Kurdish men arrested in Qamishli, Syria”
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One Kurd released after 6 months detention; one Kurd sentenced to 4 years, in Syria

9 May 2010The individual military judge in Qamishli decided on Wednesday 5 April 2010 to release Saud Ibrahim Abdul Kadir born in 1975 in Qamishli. He had been in detention without trial for six months with Political Security in Hassaka, for the crime of “belonging to a banned political organisation” meaning the Democratic Union Party – PYD, which is forbidden under Article 288 of the Penal Code.
It was the second time that Saud had been arrested, as he was previously held in detention in the same Political Security Branch in Hassaka from 16 October 2008 until 16 April 2009.
The Supreme State Security Court in Damascus jailed Hafez Majoul Shendi, a young Kurd from Hassakah province, on 4 May 2010 for four years. He was sentenced under Article 278 of the Penal Code. He has been in detention since he was arrested on 1 June 2008 on the basis of Article 278 of the Penal Code “exposing Syria to hostile acts”. Continue reading “One Kurd released after 6 months detention; one Kurd sentenced to 4 years, in Syria”

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Mustafa Ismail appears in court in Syria

moustafa_ismail__1Syrian Human Rights Committee – MAD reports that on 3 May 2010, the second military investigation judge in Aleppo accused Mustafa Ismail of belonging to a banned political party, annexing territory belonging to Syria, and disturbing relations with a foreign state under Articles 267/288/278 of the Syrian Penal Code.

Mustafa Ismail, a lawyer, writer and activist in the field of human rights was arrested on 12 December 2009 by airforce security and was transferred to the Court on 22  March 2010.  Syrian Human Rights Commission – MAD condemns this decision, and demands his release.

Syrian Human Rights Committee – MAD, Aleppo Continue reading “Mustafa Ismail appears in court in Syria”

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Syrian Political Activist Pir Rostom – released on bail

Amnesty International

Syrian political activist Ahmed Mustafa Ben-Mohammed, usually known by his pen name of Pir Rostom, was released on bail on 27 April.

Pir Rostom continues to await possible referral for trial on charges such as inciting sectarian and racial strife. It is believed that these relate to articles written by him that were published online. Amnesty International believes that Pir Rostom is no longer at imminent risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Pir Rostom was arrested on 7 November 2009 (previously stated as being on 5 November) at his home in the town of ‘Afreen, near Aleppo, shortly after his return from the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where he had lived for two years. According to a source in Syria, he was held incommunicado for over three months. For most of this time, he was detained in Political Security branches in the cities of Aleppo and Damascus, but he was also held for 10 days in Palestine branch, a Military Intelligence-run detention centre in Damascus well-known for torture. According to Amnesty International’s source, while held in the Political Security branch in Damascus, Pir Rostom spent around 50 days in solitary confinement.

Pir Rostom was transferred to Aleppo Central Prison on 19 January, where he was allowed visits by his family and lawyer. He was also allowed access to medication for a stomach ulcer and a kidney infection.

Thanks to all those who took action on behalf of Pir Rostom. We will continue to monitor his case. No further appeals from the UA network are required at present.

This is the first update of UA 327/09 (MDE 24/036/2009). Further information: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE24/036/2009/en

Further information on UA: 327/09 Index: MDE 24/010/2010 Issue Date: 07 May 2010

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Three people arrested and four teenagers from the city of al-Raqqa have been released.

newroza Reqa 2010 (1) sksLaw enforcement personnel arrested three people after raiding homes in the middle of the night and early morning, in al-Raqqa, between 26 – 28 April 2010, adding to the numbers of Kurds already arrested, and to the intimidation of families, of children who watch their parents being being driven to detention facilities and of women.

The three arrested were:

  • Muhammad Ali Koresh
  • Yasser Musa
  • Abdel-Qader Ali Saaed

Four teenagers who were arbitrarily arrested in relation to the Newroz celebration, were released on 30 April: