By Patrick Seale, Special to Gulf News
Dear Mr. President,
Friends of Syria - and I count myself among them - have been puzzled and saddened by the lengthy jail sentences passed on Syrian political prisoners, human rights activists and prisoners of conscience. These harsh punishments have attracted world-wide attention and do your country's reputation great harm. With the greatest respect, I urge you to review these cases and to grant an early amnesty to the prisoners.
Anwar Al Bunni is Syria 's leading defender of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience. In March 2006, with funding and encouragement from the European Union, he created a Syrian human rights centre. Your security services closed it down almost immediately.
On May 17, 2006, Al Bunni was arrested and detained with common criminals at 'Adra prison near Damascus where, according to Amnesty International, he suffered beatings and degrading treatment.
I understand that he has written to you drawing your attention to the fact that some 6,000 prisoners in 'Adra are routinely subjected to beatings, insults and terror and prevented from leaving their cells, watching TV or listening to the radio.
He has asked you to investigate prison conditions. I very much hope you will respond positively to this request. I feel sure that you are aware that he is a prisoner of conscience detained solely for the expression of non-violent ideas.
On April 24, he was sentenced by the Damascus Criminal Court to five years' imprisonment on the charge of "spreading false information harmful to the state" (Article 286 of the Penal Code.)
Foreign diplomats present in court were disturbed by this harsh sentence and considered the trial unfair. Such political trials before Syria's criminal, military and state security courts have come under severe international criticism for the blatant influence of the security services on the proceedings.
I would suggest that prisoners such as Al Bunni, a respected lawyer, are more damaging to you inside prison than at liberty.
According to Amnesty International, his "crime" was to have raised the case of the death in custody of 26-year-old Mohammad Shaher Haysa, as a result of inhumane treatment, possibly amounting to torture.
Amnesty says that torture and ill treatment are still widespread in Syrian prisons and that there has been no independent investigation into any of the cases of torture and suspicious deaths reported over the years.
Other recent cases are those of the prominent writer and journalist Michel Kilo and the English language teacher Mahmoud Eissa who, after long months of detention at 'Adra, were each given three-year prison sentences on May 4 by the Damascus Criminal Court.
Their "crime" was involvement in the so-called "Beirut-Damascus Declaration", a petition signed by some 300 Syrians and Lebanese and released on May 12, 2006, which called for the normalisation of relations between Syria and Lebanon by exchanging ambassadors and defining their common border.
Another opposition figure, Kamal Labwani, founder of the Democratic Liberal Gathering, has suffered an even worse fate. He was arrested at Damascus airport in 2005 on his return from the United States, where he had attended a conference and met White House officials.
This month he was given a shocking sentence of 12 years in jail on a charge of contacting a foreign country and "encouraging attack against Syria".
Syria is, of course, not the only, or even the worst, abuser of human rights in the Middle East. Prison conditions in other Arab countries are also said to be appalling.
The United States set a terrible example by its torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and by its policy of "extraordinary rendition" - that is to say sending prisoners for interrogation to countries notorious for torture.
Israel, in turn, has regularly been accused of torturing some of the 10,000 Palestinian prisoners it is holding.
Most experts agree that torture is almost always counter-productive. Information extracted under torture is seldom reliable. It creates hate and an unquenchable thirst for revenge.
In Syria, far from contributing to social peace, the ill-treatment of prisoners tends to sharpen hostility between communities and sects. Far from protecting Syria against foreign enemies, it provides them with a pretext for hostile propaganda and attack.
The punitive sentences of prisoners of conscience and other abuses of human rights are damaging to Syria's foreign policy goals.
I believe one of your primary goals is to win the recognition and respect of the international community, so as to strengthen Syria's hand in negotiations, to attract foreign direct investment, to welcome tourists in ever greater numbers to Syria's unique sites and to promote economic and social development in general.
Important goal
Another important goal is to recover the Golan Heights by means of a comprehensive Arab peace settlement with Israel. A third goal is to secure ratification by all 27 EU members of the association agreement with the European Union, which has still not been put into effect.
A fourth crucial goal must surely be to put Syria's relations with Lebanon on a healthy basis after the strains and quarrels of recent years. The two countries are cut from the same flesh. They are essential to each other. There can be no question of a permanent divorce.
Syria has certain vital interests in Lebanon: it cannot tolerate a hostile government in Beirut or the dominant influence there of a hostile foreign power, as this would be a threat to its national security.
Lebanon, in turn, wants Syrian recognition of its independence and sovereignty. Surely a deal can be struck on this basis which would satisfy both parties.
Syria has come under great pressure from the United States ever since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. There was also a dangerous moment last summer when Israel seemed about to extend to Syria its aggression against Lebanon.
The hostility of France was a further worrying factor. These pressures now seem to be easing. The world is beginning to recognise the crucial role Syria could play in resolving some of the region's conflicts, once its own interests are addressed.
Is this not the moment, Mr. President, to show the world a humane and generous face, and win international support, by turning your attention to the plight of prisoners of conscience, unfairly and cruelly punished by your courts?
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Patrick Seale is a commentator and author of several books on Middle East affairs
to Gulf News on 17.05.07
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