{"id":265,"date":"2011-06-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-06-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/?p=265","title":{"rendered":"Incommunicado detention of Ms. Razan Zaitouneh’s husband and brother"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/a>\n<\/p>\n

\nIncommunicado detention of Ms. Razan Zaitouneh’s husband
\nand brother<\/strong><\/a>\n<\/p>\n

June 3, 2011<\/p>\n

\nThe Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights
\nDefenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights
\n(FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent
\nintervention in the following situation in Syria<\/strong>.\n<\/p>\n

\nDescription of the situation: <\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\nThe Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about
\nthe incommunicado detention of the husband and brother of human rights lawyer
\nMs. Razan Zaitouneh<\/strong>, Messrs. Wa’el Hammada and Abd al-Rahman Hammada,
\nsince respectively May 12 and April 30, 2011.\n<\/p>\n

\nAccording to the information received, Ms. Razan Zaitouneh
\nand her husband have been in hiding since April 2011, as the authorities are
\npursuing human rights and pro-democracy activists, including Ms. Zaitouneh, in
\nthe context of the repression of the social protest movement that started in
\nMarch 2011.\n<\/p>\n

\nOn April 30, 2011, security agents arrested Mr. Abd
\nal-Rahman Hammada while he was getting some clothes at the couple’s flat. The
\nsecurity agents tried to organise a trap to arrest Mr. Wa’el Hammada but
\nfailed. On May 12, Mr. Wa’el Hammada was eventually arrested at his workplace.\n<\/p>\n

\nSince then,
\nthe two men have been held incommunicado at an unknown location. The Syrian
\nsecurity forces would reportedly continue their investigation to locate Ms.<\/span>
\nRazan Zaitouneh.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nObservatory fears that Messrs. Wa’el Hammada and Abd al-Rahman Hammada are kept
\nin a secret location in order to force <\/span>Ms. Razan Zaitouneh to surrender. The Observatory is deeply concerned
\nby Messrs. Wa’el Hammada and Abd al-Rahman Hammada’s incommunicado detention,
\nwhich seem to merely aim at sanctioning <\/span>Ms. Razan Zaitouneh’s human rights activities, and fears
\nfor their physical and psychological integrity amid the <\/span>routine acts of
\nviolence, including torture and ill-treatment, committed against those who are
\nconsidered to support the social protest movement.\n<\/p>\n

\nThe
\nObservatory therefore calls upon the Syrian authorities to take prompt action
\nin order to disclose Messrs. Wa’el Hammada and Abd al-Rahman Hammada’s
\nwhereabouts and release them immediately. <\/span>The Observatory further calls
\nupon the Syrian authorities to stop the systematic repression of all human
\nrights defenders in the country.\n<\/p>\n

\nActions requested:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\nPlease write to the Syrian authorities, urging them to:\n<\/p>\n

\ni. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and
\npsychological integrity of Ms. Razan Zaitouneh and Messrs. Wa’el Hammada and Abd al-Rahman
\nHammada, as well as of all human rights defenders in Syria<\/span>;\n<\/p>\n

\nii. Take prompt action in order to disclose the whereabouts
\nof Messrs. Wa’el Hammada and
\nAbd al-Rahman Hammada<\/span> and immediate and unconditionally release them, as
\nit seems to merely aim at sanctioning Ms. Razan Zaitouneh’s human rights
\nactivities;\n<\/p>\n

\niii. Put an end to any acts of harassment and intimidation
\nagainst all human rights defenders in Syria;\n<\/p>\n

\niv. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on
\nHuman Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations
\non December 9, 1998, especially:\n<\/p>\n

\n–          its
\nArticle 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in
\nassociation with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and
\nrealization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and
\ninternational levels”;\n<\/p>\n

\n–          its
\nArticle 6 (b) and (c), which states that “everyone has the right, individually
\nand in association with others […] as provided for in human rights and other
\napplicable international instruments, freely to publish, impart or disseminate
\nto others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental
\nfreedoms and […] to study, discuss, form and hold opinions on the observance,
\nboth in law and in practice, of all human rights and fundamental freedoms and,
\nthrough these and other appropriate means, to draw public attention to those
\nmatters”;\n<\/p>\n

\n–          and
\nits Article 12.2, which provides that “the State shall take all necessary
\nmeasures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone,
\nindividually and in association with others, against any violence, threats,
\nretaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other
\narbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the
\nrights referred to in the present Declaration”;\n<\/p>\n

\nv. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and
\nfundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards
\nand international instruments ratified by the Syrian Arab Republic.\n<\/p>\n

\nAddresses<\/strong>:\n<\/p>\n

\n· President, His Excellency Bashar al-Assad, Presidential
\nPalace, al Rashid Street, Damascus, Syria Arab Republic, Fax: +963 11 332 3410\n<\/p>\n

\n· Minister of Defence, His Excellency General, Ali Habib
\nMahmud, Ministry of Defence, O mayyad Square, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic,
\nFax: +963 11 223 7842\n<\/p>\n

\n· Minister of Justice, His Excellency Mr. Tayzeer Qala
\nAwwad, Ministry of Justice, Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic, Fax: +963 11 666
\n2460\n<\/p>\n

\n· Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Wallid
\nMu’allim, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, al-Rashid Street, Damascus, Syrian Arab
\nRepublic, Fax: +963 11 332 7620\n<\/p>\n

\n· Ambassador Bashar
\nJa’afari<\/span>, Permanent Mission of the Syrian Arab Republic to UN in Geneva,
\n72 rue de Lausanne, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 738 42 75, Email: mission.syria@ties.itu.in<\/a>t\n<\/p>\n

\n· Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic in Brussels, 1 avenue
\nF.D. Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, Tel: +32 2 554 19 22; Fax: +32 2 648 14
\n85\n<\/p>\n

\nPlease also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of
\nthe Syrian Arabic Republic in your respective country.\n<\/p>\n

\nParis-Geneva, June 3, 2011\n<\/p>\n

\nKindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code
\nof this appeal in your reply.\n<\/p>\n

\nTo contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:\n<\/p>\n