Home » Middle East and North Africa » Syria

All News items from Syria

Syria: Human rights defender and blogger Razan Ghazzawi arested as crackdown continuesposted on: 2011/12/09

Blogger and human rights defender Razan Ghazzawi was arrested at the Syrian-Jordanian border as she was on her way to attend a workshop on media and freedom of expression in the Arab world.

Syria: Update – Judicial harassment and pre-trial detention of human rights defender Mr Joan Sulayman Ayuposted on: 2011/11/07

On 3 November 2011, human rights defender Mr Joan Sulayman Ayu was interrogated by the Damascus First Investigating Magistrate.

UK:Syrian human rights defender Razan Zeitouneh Honoured in Anna Politkovskaya's Name on Eve of Murder Anniversaryposted on: 2011/10/10

A Syrian human rights activist who has risked her life to report to the outside world on atrocities committed under the Syrian government's continuing crackdown on protesters has been honored in the name of slain Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya.

Syria: UPDATE - Human rights defender Mr Muhannad Al-Hassani releasedposted on: 2011/06/09

Front Line welcomes the release on 2 June 2011 of human rights defender Mr Muhannad Al-Hassani after almost two years in prison. Muhannad Al-Hassani is a lawyer and the president of the Organisation for Human Rights “Sawasiya”. He was originally arrested on 28 July 2009 for his role as a human rights observer attending trials and reporting on cases brought before the State Security Court (SCC). He was sentenced to three years imprisonment by the Second Damascus Court on 23 June 2010. His release was granted as part of the general amnesty issued by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad following months of anti-government protests.

Further Information

Muhannad Al-Hassani was the subject of a previous Front Line appeal dated 30 July 2009 following his arrest.

Syria: UPDATE - Human Rights defender and winner of the 2008 Front Line Award Anwar Al - Bunni released from prison, today (Monday 23 May)posted on: 2011/05/23

Anwar Al-Bunni winner of the 2008 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk has been released today. He finished serving his sentences on the 17th of May 2011 but was taken initially to a branch of the security apparatus before being finally released today released today.

Syria: UPDATE - Human Rights defender and winner of the 2008 Front Line Award Anwar Al - Bunni released from prison, Sunday 22 May)posted on: 2011/05/23

Anwar Al-Bunni winner of the 2008 Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk has been released on Sunday May 22, 2011. He finished serving his sentence on the 17th of May 2011 but was taken initially to a branch of the security apparatus before being finally released today.

Further Information

Anwar Al-Bunni was originally sentenced to a five year prison sentence because of his courageous work defending human rights defenders and opposition activists facing charges before the State Security Court. He had also set up a human rights centre in Damascus to support the work of human rights defenders and publicly denounced the use of torture in Syrian prisons.

During the 2008 Front line Award ceremony President McAleese of Ireland spoke of the importance of the work being done by human rights defenders: "Among them are the heroic and the self-sacrificing few who refuse to accept the strangulation of freedom, the silencing of voices raised in protest against abuse and in defence of human rights. Such individuals have an extraordinary moral power, a power that is precisely what places them in danger.

Syria: UPDATE - Release of human rights defender 'Abd Al Karim Dha'oonposted on: 2011/04/19

Front Line welcomes the release of Syrian human rights defender Mr 'Abd Al-Karim Dha'oon on 4 April 2011.Mr Dha'oon is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Syrian Committee for the defence of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights. He was arrested on 1 April by Syrian security forces while observing a peaceful protest in favour of democratic reforms in the main square of Al-Salamia town in central Syria and he has been detained since that date.

Further Information

Front Line believes that the arrest of 'Abd Al-Karim Dha'oon was directly related to his work in the defence of human rights. Front Line calls on the authorities in Syria to allow him.

Syria: UPDATE - Release of human rights lawyersposted on: 2011/04/19

Front Line welcomes the release of five human rights lawyers, Messrs Hussain 'Issa and Tamer Al-Jahmani, members of the Committee for the Defence of Prisoners of Conscience in Syria, and Sulayman Nahili, Nidal Al-Shaykh Hammoud and Muhammad Ibrahim 'Issa during the past two weeks. The five lawyers were arrested between 5 and 27 March 2011 as part of a widescale crackdown by the Syrian authorities against human rights defenders and pro-democracy and political activists across Syria in response to protests calling for democratic reforms and improved observance of civil and political rights.

Further Information

Front Line believes that the arrests were directly related to the lawyers' work in the defence of human rights.

Syria: UPDATE - Latest information on the situation of human rights defenders in Syriaposted on: 2011/04/05

Front Line has received new information on the release of human rights defenders and other ongoing detentions.

Further Information

Further to the Front Line Urgent Appeal dated 18 March 2011 and subsequent updates, Front Line has received information that on 3 April 2011, human rights defender Ms Suhair Al-Atassi was released from detention on bail by the Damascus Alternate Investigating Judge. All other detained human rights defenders, with the exception of Suhair Al-Atassi and Mr Kamal Sheikho, had previously been released on bail by the First Investigating Judge of Damascus on 31 March 2011. However, human rights defender Kamal Sheikho remains in detention.

Previous Front Line item on this case and Further update on this case

Secondly, further to the Front Line Urgent Appeal dated 22 March 2010, Front Line has received information that on 23 March 2011, human rights defender Mr Anwar Al-Bunni reportedly ended his hunger strike in detention, having been urged to do so due to a severe deterioration in his health. Previous Front Line Appeal on behalf of Anwar Al-Bunni

  • Share this

Syria: Front Line joins call by international civil society organisations for immediate implementation of reforms posted on: 2011/03/29

March 28, 2011

Over the past 12 days, peaceful protests in Syria have been faced with violence. The blood of too many people was spilled and others were arrested and beaten by security forces. As long as this violence goes on, the Syrian government’s legitimacy will diminish by the day both in the eyes of the Syrian people as in the eyes of the international community.

Further Information

The commitments to reform made by the Syrian Government are welcome and necessary. Until now, although some call for regime change, a majority of Syrians apparently wants to give president Bashar al-Assad a chance to reform. Hence it prefers a calm but meaningful transition from within over a sudden and radical revolution with the risk of violent escalation. However, the opportunity to reform will soon evaporate when the Syrian government continues to shed the blood of peaceful protesters. The president will lose his legitimacy and his chance to initiate reforms.

UPDATE: Syria - Human rights defenders Ms Sereen Khoury and Mr Mazen Darwich releasedposted on: 2011/03/28

On 24 March 2011, human rights defender Mr Mazen Darwich, head of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression, was released from detention. He had been summoned for questioning at the Political Police Headquarters in Almaysat, Damascus at approximately 11.00 on 23 March 2011. Mazen Darwich had also been subjected to questioning on the evening of 22 March 2011 and was among the peaceful protesters arrested and detained for several hours on 16 March 2011.

Further Information

Furthermore, human rights defender Ms Sereen Khouri, who had also been arrested during the breakup of protests on 16 March 2011, was released on bail on 23 March 2011 following issuance of a release order by the First Investigating Judge in Damascus. However, human rights defenders Ms Suhair al Atassi and Mr Kamal Sheiko remain in detention. The three human rights defenders face charges of, inter alia, "fomenting racial and sectarian strife", and "harming the integrity of the state".

Front Line reiterates its call for the immediate and unconditional release of Suhair al Atassi and Kamal Sheikho, and for all charges against them, as well as Sereen Khouri, to be dropped.

  • Share this

Syria: UPDATE - New information re arrests of human rights defenders taking part in peaceful demonstration on 16 Marchposted on: 2011/03/21

Further to the Front Line Urgent Appeal dated 18 March 2011, Front Line has received the following new information in relation to the various human rights defenders arrested while protesting peacefully on 16 March 2011.

Further Information

Of the numerous activists and human rights defenders arrested on 16 March 2011 while attending a peaceful protest demanding the release of prisoners of conscience, five were released later the same day.

Syria: Joint NGO statement on assault on Martin Ennals Award winner human rights defender Muhannad al-Hassaniposted on: 2010/11/05

(London, 4 November 2010) – Eight leading human rights organizations today called on the Syrian government to guarantee the safety of Muhannad al-Hassani, a human rights defender serving a three year prison term, after he was assaulted last week in ‘Adra prison, Damascus.

Geneva: Syrian human rights defender Muhannad Al Hassani receives Martin Ennal Award 2010posted on: 2010/10/18

Muhannad Al-Hassani, a longstanding Syrian human rights defender and lawyer has been awarded the Martin Ennals Award (MEA) laureate for 2010 - the prize was presented on 15 October 2010 in Geneva.

Geneva: Syrian human rights defender Haithem Al-Maleh to receive Alkarama Award 2010posted on: 2010/10/14

12 October, 2010 - Haithem Al-Maleh (هيثم المالح), prominent Syrian human rights defender and lawyer, will be the recipient of the Alkarama Award 2010 for Human Rights Defenders.