{"id":648,"date":"2012-06-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-21T00:00:00","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=648","title":{"rendered":"Call to release freedom of expression defenders held incommunicado"},"content":{"rendered":"

21 june 2012 – The undersigned rights groups from around the world are seriously concerned about human rights defenders, journalists, writers and bloggers in Syria who have been subjected to enforced disappearance, which has contributed to the lack of credible information available about human rights violations on the ground. We call on the Syrian government to provide information about the whereabouts of all those detained in violation of their right to free expression and to release them immediately. We further call on all interested parties, specifically United Nations Special Envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, to seek assurances that everyone will be allowed to safely and freely report on human rights violations during the ongoing conflict. <\/p>\n

Human rights defender and journalist Mazen Darwish<\/a>, Director of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), was arrested on 16 February 2012 by the Air Force Intelligence (AFI) Service. At this time, his family has no information about his health and whereabouts.<\/p>\n

It has also been impossible to obtain information regarding the whereabouts of other members of SCM, human rights defenders and bloggers including Abdelrahman Hamada, Hussein Ghareer, Mansour Hamid Al -Omari, and Hani Zetani, who were arrested together with Darwish and detained incommunicado at the AFI detention centre.<\/p>\n

Seven other SCM employees and one visitor to the office face a military trial<\/a> on charges of “possessing prohibited materials with the intent to disseminate them.” They are due in court in Damascus on 25 June 25, after the trial was postponed because the AFI had failed to notify it whether Darwish would appear as a witness. Those charged are bloggers Bassam Al-Ahmad, Joan Farso, Ayham Ghazzoul, Yara Bader, Razan Ghazzawi, Mayadah Al-Khaleel, Sana Zetani and Hanadi Zahlout. <\/p>\n

There have been other cases of human rights defenders arrested last year, whose whereabouts are also unknown. Human rights defender Barraa Bukairati from Damascus was arrested on 30 September 2011 by the AFI after they raided his home and confiscated his computer. Since his arrest, there has been no information about Bukairati or his whereabouts, and his family does not know whether he is alive or dead.<\/p>\n

Similarly, peace activist Yahya Al-Sharbaji, a well-known advocate of non-violence, was arrested on 6 September 2011 by the AFI. His family does not know where he is, or if he is alive or dead. <\/p>\n

Over a year ago, human rights defender Anas Al-Shaghri was arrested on 16 May 2011. He had been quoted by international media prior to his arrest. There is no confirmed information about whether he is alive or dead, or of his whereabouts.<\/p>\n

In addition, writers, poets and bloggers remain in detention in Syria, some held incommunicado. Last year, Muheeb Al-Nawathy<\/a>, a Palestinian journalist was arrested in Syria on 5 January 2011 nine days after arriving in Damascus to do research for a book he is writing about Hamas (the Palestinian Islamic group). Al-Nawathy’s whereabouts are still unknown. <\/p>\n

Tal Al-Mallouhi, a young poet and blogger<\/a> who was arrested on 27 December 2009, was sentenced to five years in prison after being summoned for questioning about her blog entries. She is reportedly held in solitary confinement and feared to be at risk of ill-treatment. <\/p>\n

We express serious concern for the security and physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned human rights defenders, writers and bloggers and we believe that their presumed forced disappearance is directly related to their peaceful and legitimate human rights activities in Syria. We believe that this presumed forced disappearance also forms part of a wider campaign of threats and harassment against human rights defenders in Syria in order to prevent them from carrying out their legitimate work.<\/p>\n

We, the undersigned groups, therefore:<\/p>\n