Syrian Elector

Syria arrests artist in dissident crackdown

Prominent Syrian artist Talal Abu Dan has been arrested and his studio ransacked in the latest crackdown against opposition activists, a rights group said on Thursday.

"The painter and activist Talal Abu Dan was summoned by the security services in Aleppo (on Wednesday) and has not reappeared since," said Ammar Qorabi, head of the National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria.

He said in a statement that Abu Dan was transported to Damascus, where the authorities are holding a number of dissidents on national security charges for attending an opposition meeting in the Syrian capital last month.

At least 11 people, including former MP Riad Seif, have already been detained for attending a meeting of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration, which calls for radical democratic change in Syria.

"Abu Dan's studio in Aleppo was ransacked on January 21 and paintings and canvases were all destroyed," Qorabi said.

White House condemns growing repression in Syria

TORRANCE, California (AFP) — The White House on Wednesday condemned Syria's arrest of former opposition lawmaker Riad Seif, saying it was an "escalation" of the Syrian regime's repression of its own people.

"The United States condemns the arrest on Monday of democracy activist Riad Seif by the Syrian regime," White House spokesman Tony Fratto said in a statement.

"His arrest, which follows repeated refusals by the regime to allow Mr. Seif to travel abroad for medical treatment, is an escalation of a long series of Syrian efforts to deny its citizens the internationally recognized rights of freedom of expression and association," Fratto said.

"The Syrian regime cannot expect to be treated as a respected member of the international community while it engages in such systematic repression of its own citizens," he said in the statement issued in Torrance, California, where President George W. Bush was visiting.

Germany Summons Syrian Diplomat Over Dissident's Jailing

BERLIN (AFP)--The German Foreign Ministry has summoned Syria's ambassador to Berlin to demand the release of jailed political dissident and former member of parliament Riad Seif, a spokesman said.

"The Syrian ambassador to Berlin was called in to the foreign ministry to make the same demand" as Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier had made earlier in a statement, ministry spokesman Stefan Bredohl said.

"Secondly, our ambassador in Damascus approached the Syrian Foreign Ministry."

He added: "There is of course disappointment and anger on the side of the German government, otherwise we would not have reacted in this way."

Seif's arrest Monday has also led Washington to further toughen its stance towards Damascus.

"It is time for the Syrian government to modify its behavior, end its support for terrorism in the region, and provide its citizens with the rights they deserve," State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.

Seif was charged with a series of national security offenses on Tuesday, along with 10 other political activists who have been detained by authorities since December.

The former lawmaker is a signatory of the Damascus Declaration, which calls for radical democratic reforms in Syria, and attended a meeting last month where activists formed a council to push for implementation of the text.

This triggered a clampdown by the authorities.

Germany has pursued a policy of dialogue with Syria in a bid to bring the nation - which is accused of destabilizing neighboring Lebanon - to play a positive role in the Middle East peace process.

Syrian regime Charges Journalists, Activists For Signing Damascus Declaration

Syrian Elector

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemned the Syrian government for placing them before a judge yesterday less than two months after Syrian authorities began a wave of arrests against pro-democracy activists. Two journalists and eight activists were formally charged with attacking the "prestige of the state, publishing false information, membership in a secret organization aimed at destabilizing the state" and promoting ideas that endanger the country. "Bashar Al Assad led people to believe that a page had been turned when he became president in June 2000," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement.

"He spoke of his desire to modernize the state and actively combat corruption. Several political activists and journalists felt sufficiently confident to call for an end to the state of emergency and a return to the rule of law. But the spring was short-lived and arbitrary arrests soon resumed under the new regime. The Damascus Declaration's signatories are the latest victims."

The journalists and activists face up to 15 years in prison for their actions, RSF said, adding that the government should immediately release those held on such charges.

"They tried to convince the judge of the peaceful and patriotic nature of their initiative, which aspires to bring about democratic change without any foreign influence," the statement added.

Germany demands release of Syrian rights activist Saif

Syrian Elector

Berlin - German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier called on Syria Tuesday to release detained human rights campaigner Riad Saif. Saif, a former member of parliament, was arrested at his home in Damascus on Monday evening and taken to an undisclosed destination.

"The arrest of Riad Saif is unacceptable," Steinmeier said in a statement released in Berlin. "I demand Syrian authorities free him immediately."

The German minister said Saif had worked courageously to strengthen the democratic structures in his native country.

"It is unacceptable that those who use peaceful means to campaign for political reforms, justice and human rights in Syria are deprived of their freedom," he said.

Reports from the Syrian capital said Saif was the latest human rights activist to be detained as a part of a crackdown on dissidents

Syrian regime's Arrest of Leading Democracy Activist Sparks Outcry

Syrian Elector

Yesterday, a Syrian security patrol arrested Riad Seif, a former Member of Parliament and prominent leader of the Damascus Declaration, an umbrella opposition group supporting democratic reform.

With Seif's detention, Syria now has arrested eleven leaders of the Damascus Declaration Council since the group's first meeting in December 2007. "This latest crackdown shows that the Assad Regime is intent on forcibly repressing the basic civil liberties of the Syrian people in a blatant attempt to prolong their corrupt rule," said Ammar Abdulhamid, President of the Tharwa Foundation (http://tharwacommunity.org), a Syrian advocacy organization.

Seif's imprisonment follows recent outcries against the deteriorating human rights situation in Syria. It is no coincidence that the arrests come a week after a meeting of the Damascus Declaration. "The authorities are using Seif's deteriorating health to convey the message that they will crack down with impunity against all independent political activities in Syria, regardless of any costs incurred to the country's standing in the international community," said Abdulhamid. (Seif is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.)

Thirteen deported to Syria

By Stefanos Evripidou

THIRTEEN illegal migrants were deported to Syria yesterday from Larnaca Airport.

The 13 were part of a group of 17 Syrians who crossed into the free areas from the Dhekelia British Bases last Sunday. All 13 left Larnaca for Damascus with passports in hand.

The authorities are preparing the deportation of another seven Syrians who crossed over the ceasefire line between Achna and Avgorou. Five of the seven were arrested on Sunday and two yesterday in the early hours of the morning. All seven are being held at the holding cells at Larnaca Airport.

According to the Larnaca Press Agency, the Cypriot authorities received assurances from their Syrian counterparts that all 20 would be accepted under normal conditions at Damascus Airport.

The Syrian migrants reportedly paid $2,500 each to get to the European mainland via Cyprus, by crossing from north to south of the island. Two people are being held by Famagusta Police in connection with smuggling individuals across the ceasefire line.

One is a Syrian national who has been living in the country for years. The other is a failed asylum seeker who has appealed the rejection of his application.

Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2008

US Condemns Jailing of Syrian Opposition Figure

By VOA News
29 January 2008

The United States has condemned the jailing of a former member of Syria's parliament and has demanded his immediate release.

Tom Casey, a U.S. State Department spokesman, expressed concern Tuesday about Riad Seif, who was arrested Monday as part of a crackdown against opposition activists.

In August, the State Department urged Syria to allow Seif to travel outside the country to receive urgent medical treatment. A spokesman said Syria denies freedom of movement to hundreds of its citizens who peacefully question the political system under which they live.

President Bush issued a statement in December calling on Syria to release hundreds of opposition activists jailed for their political beliefs.

Since December, at least 10 opposition activists have been detained by Syrian authorities.

New arrest and prosecutions against pro-reform activists

Syria
mercredi 30 janvier 2008

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) express their deepest concern about continued crackdown against Syrian activists.

On January 28, 2008, Mr Riad Seif, former member of the Syrian parliament and 'Damascus Spring' figurehead, was arrested by the Syrian Security forces. After being questioned by the investigating judge of the Damascus Court, Mr Riad Seif was charged under articles 285, 286, 307 and 327 of the Syrian Penal code [1] and is currently detained in Adra's prison.

Mr Riad Seif is the President of the General Secretariat office of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration and his arrest occurred a few hours after he attended on January 28, the first appearance of ten elected members of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration before the investigating judge. Mr. Mohammed Haj Darwish, Mr. Fayez Sarah, Dr. Ahmad Tohme, Mr. Jaber al-Shoufi, Mr. Akram al-Bunni, Dr. Fida al-Hurani, Mr. Ali al-Abdullah, Dr. Walid Bunni, Dr. Yasser Tayser Aleiti, and Mr Marwan Aloush were arrested within the framework of a wave of arrests that followed the establishment of the National council of the Damascus Declaration on December 1, 2007. They were charged with the same offences and remain in detention. [2]

Syrian Human Rights Groups Expose Court Irregularities

Amidst tight security, the ten detainees arrested after attending a meeting called for by the Damascus Declaration entered a court room and appeared before investigation judge Muhammad Subhi al-Sau'r.

They were Dr. Ahmad Ta'ma, Jabr al-Shufi, Akram al-Bunni, Dr. Fida' Horani, Ali al-Abdallah, Walid al-Bunni, Dr. Yasser al-Eiti, Muhammed Haji Darwish, Marwan al-Ush and Fayiz Sarah.

The attorney-general relied on Article 285 of the penal code to charge the ten detainees with "weakening the national spirit and awkening racism and sectarianism." The attorney-general also used Article 286 to charge them with "weakening national morale."

Articles 304 and 306 were invoked to accuse the ten detainees of "creating a group which aims to change the economic and social structure of the state and the basic condition of society with one of the following means:..."

It is important to note that Article 304 is the first article in chapter four of the penal code, which deals with crimes against the state. It is essentially about acts of a terrorist nature that aim to cause panic and are usually carried out using explosives, firearms, incendary devices, poisons and harmful biological materials.

The attorney-general then invoked Article 307 of the penal code to charge the ten detainees of stoking racism and sectarianism. Article 307 prohibits "carrying out or writing material the aim of which is to inflame sectarian or racist feelings or to provoke conflict between the sects and the rest of the nation."

Article 327 deals with secret groups and was invoked also by the prosecutor-general. The article says: "A group is secret if its aims are deemed illegal and if it conducts its business in total or partial secrecy. A group is also secret if it is proved that its aims are contrary to the law and it did not inform the authorities, after it had been told to do so, or if it offered false or incomplete information on, the following: Its by-laws, the names of its members, the job descriptions of its members, the subject of its meetings, the source of its funding and a break-down of its assests."