Syrian human rights defender Aktham Naisse, President of the Committees for the Defence of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria (CDF) appeared in court on 24 April 2005. His trial was postponed for a third time until the 26th of June 2005 for sentencing. Two Kurdish human rights activists Shevan Abdo and Massaab Hariri were also due to go on trial the same day but their trials were postponed. Both activists are from the town of Qamishli.
The defence counsel have argued that the charges are unconstitutional and that Aktham is being persecuted due to his democratic principles and his promoting the protection of human rights. There were approximately 200 Syrians protesting outside the Supreme State Security Court in Damascus during the hearing and the area was sealed off by 50-riot police. There were a number of international observers present including Nasser Amin, Director of the Arab centre for Independence of Judiciary who represented Front Line. Representatives of the European Commission delegation in Syria were also present.
Aktham Naisse was arrested on 13 April 2004 and released on bail on 17 August 2004 following a decision by the Syrian Supreme State Security Court (SSSC). The trial had previously been postponed from January 16 was postponed.
Aktham Naisse was charged with “opposing the objectives of the revolution” and “disseminating false information aiming at weakening the State” and faces a possible 15-year prison sentence. Front Line believes that Aktham Naisse is being prosecuted due to his peaceful work in promoting democratic values and human rights in Syria over the last 30 years and that the charges are unwarranted and violate the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by consensus by the UN General Assembly on 9 December 1998, which recognises the legitimacy of the activities of Human Rights Defenders and their right to carry out their activities without fear of reprisals. Particularly article 12(2): “The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present declaration.”
Front Line is extremely concerned that the legal proceedings against him are unfair. He is being tried under the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) which was set up as an emergency structure by the military regime under Syrian legislation decree 47 in 1968 which does not conform with international standards on fair trials. The SSCR does not come under a higher judiciary but under the National Security Office of the Baath party. All decisions of the SSSC cannot be appealed.
Aktham Naisse is a prominent human rights defenders and has won a number of prizes for his work including the 2005 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders and the Ludovic Travieux prize in 2004, he has also attended the Front Line conference in 2002.
Front Line is calling on the Syrian authorities to: § Release immediately Aktham Naisse, that all charges against him are dropped as his trial is in contravention of the United Nations Declation on Human Rights Defenders, Article 12(2). § Allow all human rights defenders in Syria to carry out their activities without harassment, intimidation, imprisonment and torture according to international human rights standards as expressed in the 1995 Barcelona Declaration to which Syria is committed § Respect the Human Rights Clause (Article 2) in the Association Agreement, which the EU concluded with Syria in October 2004. Article 2 of this Agreement reasserts the respect, by all parties, of the basic principles of democracy and human rights. The credibility of this agreement would be at stake if Syria does not make efforts to correct the current violations, especially those against human rights defenders.
Front Line Press Release 5 May 2005