Mar 17, 2011 | News
The ICJ today called on the Syrian authorities to end their persistent attacks on human rights defenders and persons detained for political reasons and the members of their families.
On 16 March 2011, a group of protesters, led by family members of detainees, were peacefully demonstrating outside the Ministry of the Interior in Damascus, calling for the release of their relatives. Plain-clothed security officers launched a violent crackdown on the demonstrators, physically assaulting and arresting at least 25 of them. Detainees were taken to unknown locations and are reportedly held in incommunicado detention.
Mar 17, 2011 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
Since 1963, under the framework of a State of Emergency, serious and widespread human rights violations have been committed in Syria, including torture and other ill-treatment, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary arrests and detentions.
Suspected political opponents, human rights lawyers and other defenders have been regularly and arbitrarily detained, ill-treated and, in many cases, held without charge or trial for several years. Others have been convicted and sentenced, under the emergency law and other restrictive dispositions of the Syrian Penal Code (in particular Articles 267,273, 285, 286, 287, 288, and 307),to lengthy prison terms after grossly unfair trials before military courts, the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), or civilian courts.
In spite of the persistent and consistent reports of these human rights violations, Syrian authorities have failed to investigate them promptly and independently, and to bring to justice State officials and laws enforcement officers allegedly responsible for these violations. They have enjoyed effective impunity.
Syria-UPR submission ICJ-non-legal submission-2011 (full text, PDF)
Nov 1, 2010 | News
The ICJ today deplored the failure of the Syrian authorities to protect the physical integrity ICJ Commissioner Muhannad Al-Hasani, an internationally renowned lawyer and human rights defender currently in jail.
Oct 7, 2010 | News
The main award for international human rights for 2010 goes to a Syrian human rights defender lingering in prison. The Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) announces its Laureate for 2010 The main award for international human rights for 2010 goes to a Syrian human rights defender lingering in prison. The Jury of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (MEA) announces its Laureate for 2010.
Jul 5, 2010 | News
The ICJ and other Human Rights groups today strongly condemned the conviction, and sentence to three years’ imprisonment, of Mr. Haytham Al-Maleh, a 79 years old prominent Syrian human rights lawyer.
This conviction was ordered on the grounds of “transferring false and exaggerated news that weaken national sentiments”, under Articles 285 and 286 of the Syrian Criminal Code. The charges arise from Mr. Al-Maleh’s interviews with the media in which he criticized, amongst other things, the continued use of the emergency laws in Syria and the ongoing control of the Syrian authorities over the judicial system.
Syria-conviction Al-Maleh-press release-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
