Agence France Presse
April 26, 2007 Thursday 3:58 PM GMT
Canada expressed concern Thursday over human rights and democratic elections in Syria, calling for Damascus to ensure its laws and practices are "in keeping with its international human rights obligations."
In a statement Foreign Minister Peter MacKay singled out the trial of Syrian human rights activist Anwar al-Bunni and other opposition figures and intellectuals as a point of concern.
"The Government of Canada is very concerned about the outcome of the trial of Anwar al-Bunni on charges related to his efforts to build a culture of human rights in Syria and denounce torture in Syrian prisons.
"We are also concerned about the ongoing trials of opposition figure Kamal Labwani and intellectuals Michel Kilo, Mahmoud 'Issa, Khalil Hussein and Suleiman al-Shummar," MacKay said.
"Syria must ensure that its domestic laws and practices are in keeping with its international human rights obligations."
Ottawa urged Damascus to release political prisoners and to revoke the 44 year-old Emergency Law to improve human rights protections.
"Syria must also take firm measures to stop arbitrary arrest, incommunicado detention, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as to investigate allegations of these practices, prosecute perpetrators and provide remedies for the victims," MacKay said.
"The Government of Canada is furthermore concerned with the shortcomings of the Syrian election law, system and process. Syria should guarantee its citizens the right to genuinely democratic legislative and presidential elections, as part of a fully fair and participatory political process, as part of a move toward providing its citizens freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law."
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