Syria: Arrest of human rights defenders Ali Al-Abdallah Fayez Sarah and Akram al-Bunni

Front Line is deeply concerned following the arrest of three human rights defenders, Ali al-Abdallah and Fayez Sarah, members of the Damascus Centre for Human Rights (DCHRS) and Akram-al Bunni, member of the Human Rights Association by members of the State Security branch, which is a branch of the General Security Administration in December 2007 and January 2008. They are being held incommunicado without charge, and it is feared that they may be tortured and or ill-treated. Their whereabouts have not been disclosed by the authorities though it is believed that they are being detained in a building of the State Security branch.

Further Information

Posted 11/01/2008 Front Line has received reports that Fayez Sarah has been tortured and ill-treated, and there are serious concerns for the safety of the human rights defenders. There were no arrest warrants for the human rights defenders and they do not have access to a legal representation or to their families.

Ali Al-Abdallah, Fayez Sarah and Akram-al Bunni were arrested along with approximately 40 other individuals by the Syrian authorities in December 2007 and January 2008. It is believed that the mass arrest is related to a meeting of the leading pro-democracy umbrella grouping, Declaration for Democratic Change (DDDNC) that took place on 1 December 2007. The majority of those individuals arrested are members of the opposition. Twenty of those arrested were released on 11 December 2007.

The journalist Ali al-Abdallah was arrested by five members of the State Security branch on 17 December 2007. Ali al-Abdallah is a graduate of the University of Damascus Philosophy College. He writes for a number of Arabic publications, including al-Hayat, al-Safir and al-Khalije. He has been targeted in the past. In 1994, he was arrested at Damascus International Airport on his return from Tunisia. He was released six months later. He was arrested a second time, in March 2005, due to his activities in the Jamal al-Atasi’s Forum for National and Democratic Change and was charged with “spreading false news”, he was sentenced to six months, and served five months in prison, until he was released following a Presidential pardon. He was arrested a third time in March 2006, along with his son, while they were attending a peaceful vigil in front of the High Court of State Security. The participants of the vigil were calling for an end to the emergency law, which is still in operation since 1963. Ali al-Abdallah was detained for seven months. Ali al-Abdallah is a member of the National Syrian Council for Democratic Change.

The writer and political analyst, Akram al-Bunni was arrested on 12 December 2007 at 9.00am, at his home and his whereabouts have not been disclosed. Akram al-Bunni is the brother of Anwar al-Bunni. He was a political detainee for approximately 17 years and is a human rights defender. He is a member of the Human Rights Association in Syria, the Damascus Centre for Human Rights Studies and of the Committee for the Revival of the Civil Society. He is suffering from a number of medical conditions and Front Line and requires medical attention.

Front Line has previously expressed its concern over the ongoing detention of the Syrian human rights defender, Anwar al-Bunni. On 24 April 2007, Anwar al-Bunni was sentenced at an unfair trial by the Damascus Criminal Court to five-year prison sentence under Article 286 of the Syrian Penal Code, for disseminating “false information harmful to the state” and membership of an illegal political organisation. He was also fined approximately US$2,000. Anwar al-Bunni was initially arrested on 17 May 2006 and has reportedly been detained without private access to his legal representatives at 'Adra prison, where it is reported he has been subjected to ill-treatment.

The journalist and writer Fayez Sarah was arrested on 3 January 2008, by members of the State Security branch. His whereabouts have not been disclosed. Fayez Sarah writes for a number of Arabic publications including al-Hayat, as-Safir, al-Mustaqbal, al-Nur and al-Arab al-Youm and is the founding member of the Committee for the Revival of the Civil Society in Syria. Fayez Sarah has been vocal about the right to freely demonstrate, and appeared on a television programme on 1 January 2008, where he discussed denounced the mass arrests of December. Front Line has received reports that Fayez Sarah has been tortured and ill-treated while detained, and that he has been the victim of slapping, kicking, boxing and beatings on the face and other parts of his body. Fayez Sarah suffers from a medical condition and requires urgent medical attention.

Front Line believes that the aforementioned arrests and continued detention of Ali al-Abdallah, Fayez Sarah, Akram al-Bunni and Anwar al-Bunni is an attempt to sanction them for their peaceful and legitimate activities in the defence of human rights and may form part of an ongoing pattern of intimidation against human rights defenders in Syria. Front Line is concerned for their safety and well-being of the four human rights defenders while in detention and fears that they may be victim of torture and ill-treatment.