Case History: Mazen Darwish
In August 2015 Syrian lawyer and journalist Mazen Darwish was released after more than three years in prison. Though charges against him were not initially dropped, he was subsequently found to have been covered by a 2014 amnesty issued by the Syrian government.
On 16 February 2012, authorities arrested Mazen and 13 of his colleagues from the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression following a raid by Syrian Air Force personnel. Darwish and fellow human rights defenders Hani Al-Zaytani and Hussein Ghrer were held for two years without charge.
Mazen Darwish is a prominent Syrian human rights defender, journalist and Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Free Expression. He has worked for many years on human rights, freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Syria, and has been detained as a result of his efforts for a free media and freedom of expression.
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- About
- 10 August 2015 : Lawyer and journalist Mazen Darwish released
- 15 April 2015 : Front Line Defenders Statement on Hearing for Mazen Darwish
- 24 March 2015 : Trial of human rights defender Mazen Darwish
- 25 March 2014 : Prosecutor presents charges in trial against human rights defenders Messrs Mazen Darwish, Hani Al-Zaytani and Hussein Ghrer
- 24 January 2014 : Upcoming court hearing in trial against members of Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression
- 23 August 2013 : Members of Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression appear before Anti-Terrorism Court
- 23 February 2012 : Syrian Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mazen Darwish and other detained activists
- 17 February 2012 : 14 human rights defenders arbitrarily arrested and taken to an unknown location
Syrian lawyer and journalist Mazen Darwish has been released after more than three years in prison. His release is pending a verdict in his case later this month, his wife, Yara Badr, told AFP Monday.
Darwish is the president of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression. Throughout his career as a journalist, lawyer, and human rights defender, he has repeatedly condemned the use of excessive force against civilians, advocated for freedom of expression, and fought for the rights of journalists in a country that the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calls the deadliest place in the world to practice journalism.
From the start of the Syrian war, Darwish and his team at the SCM documented the abuses against the civilian population despite the severe personal risks.
On 16 February 2012, authorities arrested Darwish and 13 of his SCM colleagues following a raid by Syrian Air Force personnel. Darwish and fellow human rights defenders Hani Al-Zaytani and Hussein Ghrer were held for two years without charge. In January 2014, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Darwish, Al-Zitani and Gharir were arbritarily detained and called for their immediate release.
In March 2014, a Syrian court heard the prosecutor present charges of "publicizing terrorist acts"’ under Article 8 of Syria's 2012 Anti-Terrorism Law, often used to criminalise free speech in the country. Darwish, Al-Zaytani and Ghrer are all civilians, whose charges do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Terrorism Court.
Hussein Ghrer and Hani al-Zaitani were released on 17 July and 18 July 2015, respectively. Despite their release, all three human rights defenders are still on trial. Their trial has been rescheduled twenty-five times since February 2013, and is now scheduled for 30 August 2015.
In February 2015, the International Press Institute (IPI) named Darwish as its 67th World Press Freedom Hero, in recognition of his work documenting and publicizing human rights violations in Syria. In October 2014, the English (UK) chapter of PEN International announced him as the 2014 PEN Pinter International Writer of Courage. Renowned writer Salman Rushdie, who selected Darwish as the “writer at risk” with whom he would share the 2014 PEN Pinter Award prize, said:
“Mazen Darwish courageously fought for civilised values – free expression, human rights – in one of the most dangerous places in the world. His continued detention is arbitrary and unjust. He should be freed immediately, and we must hope this award may help, by shining a light on his plight.”
Front Line Defenders welcomes the release of Mazen Darwish and calls upon the Syrian government to drop all charges against him. Front Line Defenders further calls upon any actor engaging the Syrian government to press for the release of all human rights defenders imprisoned in Syria, including lawyer Razan Zeitouneh, her husband, Wa’il al-Hamada, and her colleagues.
Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
Front Line Defenders calls once again for the immediate release of Syrian human rights defenders Mazen Darwish, Hani Zeitani and Hussein Ghreir, held for two years without charge and then an additional year without trial after charges were finally filed. The three were due to appear in a Syrian court on 15 April, according to information released by the Syrian Centre for Media and Free Expression, but the hearing was again postponed. The new date is 28 April.
This is the eighth time that Mazen, Hani and Hussein are due to appear in court to face trial. Yet the Syrian government refuses to proceed with trial, leaving the three defenders in limbo and displaying utter disdain for any semblance of a credible legal system. Even if the trial goes forward at this point, the charges against them - “publicizing terrorist acts” - are a sham and represent the utter desperation of the Syrian government to silence any and all voices that do not line up behind the Assad regime.
Front Line Defenders calls for the immediate release of the three human rights defenders and for an end to the nightmare that has become their lives since February 2012. However, Front Line Defenders expects that the court will either adjourn without proceeding with the trial, as it has on seven previous occasions, or will convict the three because there is no rule of law in Syria – or rather, the laws are such that no Syrian citizen can expect to be treated by the so-called legal system other than as an enemy.
Given the various political realities, Front Line Defenders insists that more determined action be taken by any actor still engaging the Syrian government to ensure the release of Mazen, Hani and Hussein and the dozens of other human rights defenders imprisoned in Syria. First among the possible interventions can be from the UN Special Representative to Syria, Mr. Stephan de Mistura. The UNSR position has been in place for over two years with no tangible results in terms of ending the conflict in Syria or improving humanitarian conditions. The ongoing engagement keeps a validating connection for the Assad government to the international community. There must be a cost to the government for this – and Front Line Defenders calls on Mr. de Mistura to pursue freedom for imprisoned Syrian human rights defenders by making his continued engagement with the government contingent on ending the charade of the trials in Syria.
Tomorrow, a Syrian court will hear the case of human rights defender Mazen Darwish, arrested over three years ago on charges of “promoting terrorist activities.”
Darwish is a journalist and lawyer, and Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Free Expression (SCM). His wife Yara told Front Line Defenders that at its founding in 2004, SCM was the only Syrian organization dedicated to documenting restrictions on free speech and attacks against journalists. Syria has been ranked "Not Free" in Freedom House's annual Freedom of the Press report every year since 2002, with widespread reports of citizen journalists, bloggers, and activists enduring arbitrary arrests, torture, and harassment.
According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Syria is the deadliest place in the world to practice journalism.
On 16 February 2012, authorities arrested Darwish and 13 of his SCM colleagues following a raid by Syrian Air Force personnel. Darwish and fellow human rights defenders Hani Al-Zaytani and Hussein Ghrer have been were held for two years without charge. In January 2014, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that Darwish, Al-Zitani and Gharir were arbritarily detained and called for their immediate release.
Eventually, in March 2014, a Syrian court heard the prosecutor present charges of "publicising terrorist acts"’ under Article 8 of Syria's 2012 Anti-Terrorism Law, often used to criminalise free speech in the country. Darwish, Al-Zaytani and Ghrer are all civilians, whose charges do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Anti-Terrorism Court.
The hearing has been adjourned at least four times, throughout which Darwish and his colleagues remained in prison.
In February 2015, the International Press Institute (IPI) named Darwish as its 67th World Press Freedom Hero, in recognition of his work documenting and publicizing human rights violations in Syria. In October 2014, the English (UK) chapter of PEN International announced him as the 2014 PEN Pinter International Writer of Courage. Renowned writer Salman Rushdie, who selected Darwish as the “writer at risk” with whom he would share the 2014 PEN Pinter Award prize, said:
“Mazen Darwish courageously fought for civilised values – free expression, human rights – in one of the most dangerous places in the world. His continued detention is arbitrary and unjust. He should be freed immediately, and we must hope this award may help, by shining a light on his plight.”
Syria’s Anti-Terrorism Court is now expected to render a verdict in Darwish's case tomorrow, 25 March. Numerous organizations, including Front Line Defenders, have called on the Syrian government to unconditionally release Darwish and other human rights defenders, and to drop all “terrorism” charges levied again Syrians who document and publicize human rights violations.
Following two years of arbitrary detention, allegations of torture in detention and repeated postponements of court hearings, on 24 March 2014, the Terrorism Court heard the prosecutor presenting charges of “promoting terrorist activities” against human rights defenders Messrs Mazen Darwish, Hani Al-Zaytani and Hussein Ghrer.
Mazen Darwish is a journalist and Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Free Expression (SCM). Hani Al-Zaytani and Hussein Ghrer are his colleagues at the SCM. All three were arrested over two years ago, on 16 February 2012, when the Syrian air force intelligence stormed the SCM offices.
At the hearing, the prosecution requested that the human rights defenders receive the maximum punishment if they are convicted on those charges, 15 years imprisonment with hard labour. The human rights defenders' defence team pointed out the lack of evidence for such allegations. Previous hearings were adjourned at the request of the prosecution due to its failure to gather evidence against the three men.
The defence also noted with concern that the defendants are civilians, whose case does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Terrorism Court, and demanded that the case be transferred a civilian court. The hearing was adjourned to 18 June 2014.
A court hearing in the trial of Mazen Darwish and other members of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) is set to take place on 10 March 2014. Front Line Defenders renews its call to release SCM director Mazen Darwish and his colleagues Mohamed Habi Al Zaitani and Hussein Ghrer.
The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in November 2013 that the deprivation of liberty of Mazen Darwish and his colleagues is arbitrary. Front Line Defenders urges the Syrian authorities to consider the ruling of the Working Group and act accordingly.
Mazen Darwish founded the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, an independent organisation that monitors and documents violations against media professionals and journalists and promotes human rights. He was taken by Syrian authorities, together with a number of SCM members, in a raid on the SCM office on 16 February 2012. He was held incommunicado for nine months. The human rights defenders have appeared before the Anti-Terrorism court several times, but the trial experiences lengthy delays. The Syrian authorities also consistently failed to address their complaints of torture and ill-treatment in custody.
On 21 August 2013, human rights defenders Mazen Darwish, Hussein Gharir, Hani Zaitani, Mansour Al-Omari and Abdelrahman Hamada appeared before the Anti-Terrorism Court in Damascus in relation to the charges of terrorism against them. The hearing was immediately postponed to 2 October 2013 due to a planned change in judges presiding over the case. In the upcoming hearing, the court will decide whether to proceed with the case.
All five human rights defenders are members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), a prominent organisation which reports on human rights violations in Syria and which has been active throughout the ongoing Syrian conflict. Mazen Darwish is the organisation's Director. Blogger and human rights defender Ms Razan Ghazzawi, the winner of the 2012 Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, is also a member of the SCM.
The five human rights defenders were originally arrested on 16 February 2012 and spent a number of months in incommunicado detention, during which they suffered torture and ill-treatment at the hands of Syrian Air Force Intelligence.
In February 2013, two of the human rights defenders, Mansour Al-Omari and Abdelrahman Hamada, were conditionally released. At that time, a number of charges were also brought against all five SCM members, all related to their work publishing reports on terrorist acts and the human rights situation in Syria, and documenting the names of the people detained, disappeared or killed during the Syrian armed conflict.
Front Line Defenders remains extremely concerned for the safety and the physical and psychological integrity of the members of the SCM, particularly of Mazen Darwish, Hussein Gharir and Hani Zaitani who remain in detention amid many credible reports that they have been subjected to torture. Front Line Defenders reiterates its call to the Syrian authorities to immediately drop the charges against all five aforementioned human rights defenders and to release Mazen Darwish, Hussein Gharir and Hani Zaitani without delay.
32 human rights organisations published a joint statement to urge the Syrian authorities to release eight members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), who were arrested on 16 February 2012 during a raid on their Damascus offices.
Full text of joint statement:
The undersigned Organisations call on the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mazen Darwish, a prominent Syrian human rights defender and Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) – an organization that enjoys UN ECOSOC consultative status -, as well as seven of his colleagues and a visitor, who were arrested on 16 February 2012 during a raid on their Damascus offices.
In total 16 people were arrested during the raid at SCM offices in Damascus, which was carried out by officers from Air Force Intelligence (AFI) who were assisted by a group of plain-clothed armed men, according to a statement from the SCM. Seven people have been conditionally released and have to report to the detention centre every day for further interrogations.
SCM has played a key role in getting out information about daily developments in Syria as international journalists have only limited access to the country. Mazen Darwish has previously been repeatedly subjected to interrogation by Syrian security services regarding his human rights related activities, including his work with SCM. The arrest of Mazen Darwish and his co-workers is apparently related to their peaceful activities as human right defenders, bloggers and journalists.
“The raid on SCM offices and the detention of Mazen Darwish and his colleagues is a further attack by Syrian security services on Syrian human rights defenders and their rights to freedom of association and expression. This represents the latest attempt to silence those who have been witnessing, documenting and reporting on the ongoing gross human rights violations committed by the Syrian security forces in Syria,” said the Organisations. “The Syrian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release these individuals”, the Organisations added.
Individuals following the case inside Syria reported that they believed the detainees are being held incommunicado at an AFI detention facility in El Mezze, Damascus. The use of torture and other ill treatment has been widespread and systematic in Syrian detention facilities, including in the facilities of the AFI.
“It is the responsibility of the Syrian authorities to protect Mazen Darwish and his colleagues from any form of ill-treatment or torture and to ensure that, as long as they remain in detention, their rights of access to lawyers, family members and independent medical personnel are fully guaranteed”, said the Organisations.
Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation
Alkarama Foundation
Amnesty International
Arab Network for human rights information
Arab Working Group for Media Monitoring
ARTICLE 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression
Association For Women’s Rights in Development
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Committee to Protect Journalists
Community Media network
Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies
Doha Centre for Media Freedom
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
Free Press Unlimited
FRONT LINE DEFENDERS
Gulf Centre for Human Rights
Human Rights Watch
Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation - Hivos
IKV Pax Christi
Index on Censorship
International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran
International Commission of Jurists
International Media Support
International Press Institute
Iran Human Rights Documentation Center
Iraqi Journalists' Rights' Defense association
Justice for Iran
Maharat Foundation
Observatory for the protection of Human Rights Defenders, joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Reporters Without Borders
Samir Kassir Foundation
Syrian Organization for Human Rights - Swasiah
On 16 February 2012, 14 human rights defenders were arrested at the offices of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) in Damascus. SCM is a non-governmental organisation that monitors threats to freedom of expression in Syria. The human rights defenders arrested are Mr Mazen Darwish, SCM Director; his wife Ms Yara Badr; blogger Ms Razan Ghazzawi, as well as SCM staff members, journalists and human rights defenders Mr Hussayn Gharir, Mr Hani Zaytani, Ms Sanaa Zaytani, Ms Rita Dayoub, Mr Jaunne Farso, Ms Hanadi Zahlout, Mr Bassam Al Ahmad, Ms Mayyada Al Khalil, Ms Maha Al Seblani, Mr Abdelrahman Hamada and Mr Mansour Hamide. In November 2011 Mazen Darwish received the Roland Berger Human Dignity Award for 2011 as founder of the SCM.
On 16 February 2012, early afternoon, a group of security officers entered the offices of SCM located in Saba' Bahrat, in the centre of Damascus and arrested all those who were present. The security officers closed the office and blindfolded the human rights defenders before taking them to an undisclosed location. Further details regarding their arrests and their current whereabouts are unknown at present. Only Ms Maha Al Seblani was released the same day.
News of their arrests comes in the context of ongoing repression of human rights defenders in Syria since mid-March 2011. Human rights defenders in Syria continue to be subjected to arbitrary arrests, detention and ill-treatment.
In December 2011 blogger Razan Ghazzawi, who is of dual Syrian and US nationality, was arrested at the Syrian and Jordanian border and held in detention for two weeks before being released on bail. She was charged of “weakening national sentiment”, belonging to an organisation “intended to change the social and economic status of the state” and “fomenting racial and sectarian strife”. In March 2011 Mazen Darwish was arrested and detained briefly before being released on the same day.
Front Line Defenders expresses deep concern for the physical and psychological integrity of aforementioned human rights defenders. Front Line Defenders believes that their arrests and detentions are solely related to their human rights work and their work in defence of freedom of expression in Syria.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Syria to:
1. Immediately and unconditionally release Mr Mazen Darwish, Ms Yara Badr, Ms Razan Ghazzawi, Mr Hussayn Gharir, Mr Hani Zaytani, Ms Sanaa Zaytani, Ms Rita Dayoub, Mr Jaunne Farso, Ms Hanadi Zahlout, Mr Bassam Al Ahmad, Ms Mayyada Al Khalil, Ms Maha Al Seblani, Mr Abdelrahman Hamada and Mr Mansour Hamide, as it is believed that their arrest and detention are solely related to their legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights;
2. Disclose the whereabouts of the 14 aforementioned human rights defenders and grant them immediate access to their families and lawyers;
3. Take all necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity and security;
4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Syria are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.
