Human Rights

Radwan submitted the following item which is sourced to a Cairo based human rights group:

Syrian Authorities Escalate Security Campaign to Suppress Reformists and Human Rights Activists

The Syrian authority seriously escalated its security campaign, and continued to terrorize and suppress civil society reformists and human rights activists in total disregard of all human rights principles. The CIHRS is deeply disturbed at prohibiting Dr. Radwan Zyada, head of Damascus Center for Human Rights from traveling on June 26, 2006 to Jordan where he was supposed to participate in a conference on "Human Rights in the framework of Criminal Justice," sponsored by Mr. Amr Moussa, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. The CIHRS has been notified that such prohibition is not limited to Jordan that it is general in nature and that review of such prohibition is conditional upon the approval of the intelligence services.

It is worth-mentioning that more than 13 human rights and political activists and others calling for reform and democracy in Syria were exposed last month to severe arrest campaign. They have been accused of various charges, the penalty of some of which amounts to life imprisonment, because of peaceful expression of their viewpoints. Detainees have been also exposed to physical assault in places of detention.

In continued violation of the freedom of opinion and expression and relevant international conventions ratified by the Syrian Government, Syrian authorities blocked the independent e-paper entitled "The Syrian Scene" issued by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression. In addition, the Syrian authorities continue to bring inhuman pressures to bear upon Syrian citizens because of their human rights-related and political activities. For example, two public employees were harassed and dismissed from their jobs.

Moataz El fegiery
programs coordinator
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies(CIHRS)