The exceptional Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) issued harsh terms of imprisonment on two (among hundreds of) Islamists in a session held on Sunday 25/2/2007

Khidr Abdullah Ramadan (Tal Kalakh/Homs), detained since 1/2/2006, was sentenced to prison for five years with hard labour in addition to being stripped of his civil rights. He was accused of being a member of a secret group that aimed to change the structure of the state and to weaken the national feeling.

Mohammed Ali Mohammed Ali al-Kelani (34 years- al-Otaiba/Rural Damascus), detained since 12/3/2005, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment with hard labour, also being stripped of his civil rights. He was charged with the same accusation as that of Khidr Ramadan. These exaggerated accusations are usually associated with Islamists, whether they are Salafis, callers, Hizbul Tahrir members, or others.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) considers these sentences illegal as they have no backing from the constitution and are issued from the SSSC which is also unconstitutional. SHRC also views the accusations the detainees were charged with as exaggerated, aiming to declare war on Islamists both theoretically and physically, attempting to come between their peaceful expression of their creed and viewpoints. SHRC regards their detainment as arbitrary and oppressive, and confirms that both detainees have been subjected to torture and ill treatment.

Therefore, SHRC calls upon the Syrian Authorities to cancel the charges made on Khidr Ramadan and Ali al-Kelani and to release them immediately. SHRC also requests an end to all arbitrary arrests and torture within the Syrian prisons, as well as the termination of the SSSC and a return to the use of normal courts and fair trials.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
28/2/2007