URGENT ACTION
PROTESTERS AT RISK OF TORTURE AFTER ARRESTS
Five Syrian men involved in protests in the town of Daraya,
south-west of Damascus, have been held incommunicado, reportedly by Air Force
Intelligence, since their arrests in July and August. They are at grave risk of
torture and other ill-treatment.
Khairo al-Dabbas, aged 52, was arrested by individuals
believed to be members of Air Force Intelligence on 2 July from his friend’s
home in Daraya. His family told Amnesty International that during his arrest
his friend was told that he was being detained for financing the protests in
Daraya. They said he would only be released when his son, 21-year-old Islam
al-Dabbas, who was at that time in hiding, handed himself over and signed a
pledge not to participate in future demonstrations. Islam al-Dabbas is one of
the organizers of protests in Daraya, which have, by all accounts, been
overwhelmingly peaceful, and is renowned for presenting water bottles with
flowers to the army in an attempt to deter them from attacking protesters.
On 22 July individuals believed to be members of Air Force
Intelligence arrested Islam al-Dabbas, his cousin ‘Alaa al-Dabbas, aged 24, and
‘Abd al-Sattar al-Kholani, aged 32. According to activists from Daraya, Islam
and ‘Alaa al-Dabbas were arrested during a protest. ‘Abd al-Sattar al-Kholani
was arrested apparently because he refused to inform Air Force Intelligence where
his brother Majd al-Din al-Kholani, aged 22, another protest organizer in
Daraya, was hiding. Majd al-Din al-Kholani was arrested on 8 August, also, it
seems, by Air Force Intelligence.
The authorities have not revealed the men’s whereabouts and
the families of the five men have been too afraid to ask the authorities for
information. Recently released detainees, however, said that all of them,
except for Khairo al-Dabbas, are being held in the Air Force Intelligence
branch in Mezza, an area of Damascus, and that Islam al-Dabbas, ‘Alaa al-Dabbas
and Majd al-Din al-Kholani had been severely beaten. They believe Khairo
al-Dabbas was recently transferred to another detention centre in Damascus.
Amnesty International is concerned that all five men may be prisoners of
conscience detained solely for legitimately exercising their rights to freedom
of expression and assembly or because of their family relationship with
protesters.
Please write immediately in Arabic, English and French or
your own language:
Expressing
concern about reports that Islam al-Dabbas, ‘Alaa al-Dabbas and Majd al-Din
al-Kholani have been beaten and calling for the alleged abuse to be promptly
investigated in a full, independent and impartial manner;
Expressing
concern that all five men (name them) are being held incommunicado and calling
for them to be given immediate access to lawyers of their choosing and their
families and any medical treatment they need;
Calling
on the authorities to release them immediately and unconditionally if, as
Amnesty International fears, they are being detained solely for legitimately
exercising their rights to freedom of expression and assembly or because of
their family relationship with protesters, and are therefore prisoners of
conscience.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 29 SEPTEMBER 2011 TO:
President
Bashar al-Assad
Presidential Palace
al-Rashid Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: +963 11 332 3410
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Walid al-Mu’allim
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
al-Rashid Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: +963 11 214 6251
Salutation: Your Excellency
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to
your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email
Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals
after the above date.
URGENT ACTION
PROTESTERS AT RISK OF TORTURE AFTER ARRESTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Since the beginning of the popular protests in mid-March,
the Syrian security forces have arrested thousands of people across the
country. Amnesty International has received numerous accounts of detainees
being tortured or otherwise ill-treated as well as reports of dozens of deaths
in custody, in many cases as an apparent result of such abuses.
According to human rights activists, Air Force Intelligence
oversees arrests in Daraya. Along with the other Syrian intelligence services, it
regularly detains people suspected of opposing the government and holds them
incommunicado for lengthy periods in detention centres that are notorious for
torture and other ill-treatment.
Activists from Daraya told Amnesty International that all of
those involved in organizing protests went into hiding soon after the outbreak
of the popular protests in mid-March, and only go out in public to take part in
the protests. Islam al-Dabbas and Majd al-Din al-Kholani, both of whom are
students, went into hiding in mid-March and April respectively.
The activists told Amnesty International that when Islam
al-Dabbas and ‘Alaa al-Dabbas were arrested during the protest on 22 July,
Islam was forced to call Majd al-Din al-Kholani and ask him to meet him.
Sensing a trap, ‘Abd al-Sattar al-Kholani, Majd’s brother, refused to let him
go and went in his place. He thought it would be safer for him as he rarely
participates in protests in Daraya, but he was arrested nonetheless.
The activists said that Majd al-Din al-Kholani was arrested
early in the morning on 8 August at a security checkpoint when he was
attempting to change his hiding place. They also said that on the same day at
around 4pm he was seen in a car near a high school in Daraya, and that his face
was swollen and he had clearly been beaten.
Name: Khairo al-Dabbas, Islam al-Dabbas, ‘Alaa al-Dabbas,
‘Abd al-Sattar al-Kholani, Majd al-Din al-Kholani
Gender m/f: All male
UA: 250/11 Index: MDE 24/041/2011 Issue Date: 18 August 2011