Where is my brother Tahsein Mamo?

Aiysha Mamo has asked International Support Kurds in Syria Association – SKS for assistance to discover the circumstances and whereabouts of her brother Tahsein Mamo who has disappeared in the Syrian prison system. Aiysha who lives in Germany said, ‘I would do anything to find my brother. I think about him every day, I miss him so much’.

Tahsein’s cousin, Yaseen Mamo has also expressed his deep concern about what may have happened, and spoke of how their lives had been affected by his disappearance.

Tahsein, born 1980 in Afrin is married with one son. He lives in Aleppo.  He was arrested with four other people at the end of January 2007 during a raid by a patrol of military security officers, and they were taken to the branch of military security in Aleppo, and then on to the Investigation Branch of the military security in Damascus. Read more

SKS report for the review of THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC Under the UN Convention against Torture [CAT]

The following report will be made available to the UN Committee on the  Convention against Torture.  The review will take place in Geneva on 4 May 2010 to hold Syria accountable for its actions since signing the Convention against Torture, and the committee has invited NGOs to contribute reports about Syria’s activities:

The NGO shadow report for the review of THE SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC  Under the UN Convention against Torture [CAT], submitted by International Support Kurds in Syria Association – SKS [April 2010]

The report is available to download here

Summary:
1) Kurds in Syria suffer torture, inhuman and degrading treatment in detention and in their everyday lives. The military and political security authorities wilfully take advantage of the State of Emergency and martial law to make arbitrary arrests and detentions without trial, in order to oppress and suppress human rights defenders and the Kurdish population. We know that acts of severe pain and suffering are intentionally and frequently inflicted on Kurds in Syria with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. We are certain that such behaviour is encouraged by the Syrian Government.
2) We ask the UN to accept that in this secretive and highly controlled country, many Kurds are afraid to speak out. There are currently people in detention who know what is happening but risk everything if they talk, including abuse of their family members; and there are others in the diaspora who may be able to give evidence if he is assured of his safety.
3) We ask that the Syrian Government is held to account for its behaviour, for its use of the State of Emergency to act in ways that instil such fear in its people, and for its use of law and public policy to ill-treat and degrade the Kurdish community in general. Recognition of this behaviour is the first step and acknowledgement that it is abusive follows. Reparation is the start of a remedy.

18 April 2010

All reports are here: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cat/cats44.htm

Kurds in Syria sentenced for between five years and life imprisonment for political activity – November 2009.

The Supreme State Security Court in Damascus sentenced five political activists to between seven and a half years and twelve years in prison, on 3 November 2009, according to reports from Syrian Human Rights Committee – MAD.

The following people were accused of the offence of membership of a banned political organisation – the Democratic Union Party [PYD] – and attempting to annex part of Syrian territory and append it to a foreign State, in accordance with Article 267 of the Penal Code of Syria:

• Shukri Khaled Omar, born 1988, who was arrested on 19 December 2006 was sentenced to five years.
  • He was also accused of carrying out acts intended to provoke civil war in accordance with Article 298, and was sentenced to hard labour for life.  The sentences are to run concurrently.  The life sentence was reduced to twelve years with hard labour due to mitigating circumstances.  Read more