Syrian human rights defender Aktham Naisse has not been seen since he presented himself at the department of military security in the city of Latakia, in the west of Syria, Tuesday the 13th April 2004. Front Line believes Aktham Naisse may have been arrested when he presented himself, as ordered, at the department of military security. According to reports received he has been held incommunicado since then. The Department of Military Security in the city of Latakia has reportedly denied having him in custody. According to our reports he is at risk of torture and suffers from an irregular heartbeat and a kidney complaint, both of which require medication. Front Line fears that Aktham Naisse may have been arrested solely because of his work in defense of human rights. He is the President of the Committees for the Defence of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights (CDDLHR). The CDDLHR has been spearheading a nationwide campaign for political reform and respect for human rights, and also for an end to the state of emergency, which has been in force in Syria since 1963 which has led to arbitrary arrests, unfair trials and severe restrictions on such basic human rights as freedom of expression. In March they organized a sit-down protest in front of the Syrian parliament by around 100 human rights activists, to mark the 41st anniversary of the declaration of the state of emergency. Dozens of activists, including Aktham Naisse, were arrested but released without charge a few hours later.

Aktham Naisse was allegedly arrested shortly after the CDDLHR issued its annual report for 2003, which detailed serious human rights violations in Syria. The authorities have reportedly subjected human rights defenders in the country to arbitrary arrest, restriction of movement and intimidation and other abuses. According to information received, he had recently said that the CDDLHR was preparing a petition to be presented to the Syrian President calling for the lifting of the state of emergency and respect for human rights.

A founding member of the CDDLHR, Aktham Naisse was detained as a prisoner of conscience from 1991 to 1998, because of his human rights work. In 1992, he was reportedly sentenced to nine years in prison after what has been described as a grossly unfair trial by the Supreme State Security Court. While in custody he was allegedly tortured and ill-treated. Amnesty International organized numerous actions to secure his release, and he was eventually freed two years before the end of his sentence. Since then the security forces have allegedly harassed him constantly because of his involvement with the CDDLHR. According to information received they have also threatened his family and in 2003 they allegedly attacked and beat his mother to intimidate him.