SYRIEN - En sammanställning av konflikten

Haytham al-Maleh, aged 78, a veteran human rights lawyer and government critic arrested in October, also faced trial for allegedly “weakening nationalist sentiment”, spreading “false news” and “slandering a governmental body” because of comments he made in a telephone interview with a Europe-based satellite TV channel in September. He too faced up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.

_ Mesh’al al-Tammo, spokesperson of the Kurdish Future Current in Syria, an unauthorized political party, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in May by the Damascus Criminal Court for “weakening nationalist sentiment” and disseminating “false news”. In November, the same court sentenced Sa’dun Sheikhu and two other members of the unauthorized Kurdish Azadi Party in Syria to three-year prison terms for “weakening nationalist sentiment” and “inciting sectarian or racial strife or provoking conflict between sects and various members of the nation.” The charges apparently arose from articles in their party newspaper criticizing discrimination against Syria’s Kurdish minority.

_ Kareem ‘Arabji, a blogger, was sentenced to three years in prison by the SSSC in September for disseminating “false news” and “weakening nationalist sentiment”. He had moderated the internet youth forum www.akhawia.net prior to his arrest in June

2007. He was reported to have been tortured and otherwise ill-treated during his prolonged incommunicado detention.

_ Habib Saleh, a pro-reform activist, was sentenced to three years in prison by the Damascus Criminal Court in March for “weakening nationalist sentiment” and

spreading “false news”. The charges related to several articles criticizing the government that he had written and published on the internet prior to his arrest on 7

May 2008.

_ Khaled Kenjo, a member of the Kurdish minority, was arrested in September, 12 days after he was forcibly returned to Syria from Germany, where he had unsuccessfully sought asylum. He was charged with “broadcasting abroad false news that could harm the reputation of the state”. The charge apparently related

to his participation, while in Germany, in activities to promote Kurdish minority rights in Syria. On 30 December, Qamishli Military Court ordered his release without dropping the charge. According to Khaled Kenjo, he was tortured in custody.

_ Aktham Naisse, a human rights lawyer, was one of at least 11 human rights defenders and political activists who were prevented from travelling abroad in 2009.

The authorities failed to clarify the circumstances in which at least 17 prisoners and five other people were, according to reports, killed at Sednaya Military Prison in July 2008. No investigation was known to have been carried out. In July, the authorities allowed some family visits to the prison for the first time since the July 2008 events, but at least 43 families were not permitted to visit or have any contact with imprisoned relatives, increasing concern that they may have been among those killed in July 2008.

_ In February, the Defence Minister closed an investigation into the killings of Sami Ma’touq and Joni Suleiman on 14 October 2008, apparently by Military Security officials, but it was unclear whether any action was taken against the officials alleged to be responsible for the deaths. Two witnesses to the killings, Hussam Mussa Elias and Qaher Deeb, and a lawyer, Khalil Ma’touq, were reported to have been harassed and intimidated when they persisted in demanding accountability.