Front Line is deeply concerned following reports that a travel ban has been imposed against human rights defender Aktham Naisse on 14 October 2008. Aktham Naisse is a lawyer, a founding member of the Committee for the Defense of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria (CDF) and the Director of the Cham Centre for Democratic and Human Rights Studies in Syria. In 2005 he was the recipient of the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders.

Further Information

posted 17/10/08.On 14 October 2008, Aktham Naisse was prevented from boarding the plane at Damascus airport while en route to the United Arab Emirates where he was going to participate in a regional human rights forum being held in conjunction with the fifth session of the Forum for the Future. This an annual meeting organised by Middle East and North Africa countries and the Group of Eight (G8) nations which focuses on political reform and sustainable development. Aktham Naisse was detained for more than two and half hours by the security forces at the airport. He was told by the authorities that a travel ban has been imposed on him because he is sought by various security forces.

There has been a long history of harassment and persecution of Akhram Naisse due to his human rights work. On 13 April 2004 he was arrested on charges of “opposing the objectives of the revolution,” “disseminating false information,” and “affiliation with international organizations.” Following an international outcry of support for Mr. Naisse and criticism of the Syrian government’s persecution of a peaceful human rights activist, Aktham Naisse was ultimately acquitted on all charges on June 26, 2005. In 1992 he was sentenced to nine years in prison after what was described as a grossly unfair trial. While in custody he was allegedly tortured and ill-treated. According to information received his family have been threatened and in 2003 his mother was attacked and beaten to intimidate him.

Recently in Syria other travel bans have been carried out to deter human rights defenders from exercising their right to freedom of expression. For example in between 16 and 19 April 2008, human rights defenders Rasim Al Atasy, Mahmoud Maree, and Ahmed Manjonah were prevented from attending the general meeting of the Arab Organisation for Human Rights.

Front Line believes that this travel ban has been imposed against human rights defender Aktham Naisse solely as a result of his legitimate work in the defence of human rights. Front Line is concerned that the travel ban forms part of an ongoing trend of harassment against human rights defenders in Syria.