The Syrian intelligence apparatus rearrested Dr. Mahmud Sarem (68 years) on 7/2/2007. He was referred to the Military Prosecution which moved him to Damascus central prison in Adra.

Dr. Mahmud Sarem is a physician, a poet and a writer born in Lattakia province and lives in Rakkah province. He was initially arrested on 19/5/2005 due to being vocal about his views regarding the country’s current issues and because he sent appeals to the president of the republic asking him to carry out reform measures. He was charged with weakening the nation’s morals and conducting actions to instigate armed rebellion. On 19/9/2006, a year after his arrest, the court decided to release him on bail to continue his trial while he is at large.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) considers the re-arrest of Dr. Sarem as a further move of the repressive escalation in the tenure of President Bashar al-Asad and as an indication of the regime’s intolerance of any other point of view expressed by citizens openly and transparently.

It is obvious that the re-arrest of Dr. Sarem was due to exercising his right of freedom of expression, making him a prisoner of conscience. All human rights advocates must work hard to defend him and get him released.

SHRC requests the Syrian authorities to immediately release Dr. Mahmud Sarem, to respect the freedom of expression and to terminate all sorts of despotic and arbitrary arrests.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
15/2/2007