The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) has learnt from eye-witnesses that approximately 50 elderly women, all mothers of detainees in Sednaya Military Prison, grouped together on Tuesday (8/7/2008) noon in one of the public squares in central Homs, asking for the fates of their detainee sons to be revealed. Within minutes of their arrival, disguised men? Arrived and began to speak on their mobile phones and take photos of the women. One of the observing men approached the women and advised them to stop their protest, informing them that the head of their branch (i.e. the intelligence police) wanted to meet them. The mothers refused, and told him they did not want to meet the head of the branch and had no need for him. The man approached them once more and repeated his advice but they continued to ignore him and did not leave. Upon the third time he informed them that the governor of Homs wished to meet them. The women then went to the governor’s office with the intelligence element.
 After half an hour the governor appeared, explaining his lateness was due to his getting news on their behalf from Damascus. The words of the governor were simply complimentary, lacking any detail and facts, except that he told them that the cells of those from Homs in Sednaya Prison had not been exposed to any shootings and that the matters were coming to an end and all was well.
This is despite the fact that it is well known that prisoners are not grouped according to where they come from, but in fact the prison authorities do their utmost to separate relatives and those from the same city/region, for reasons they know well.
SHRC expresses its support for these women and their right in asking about the fates of their sons, and calls for details to be made known about the situation of the detainees in Sednaya Prison and the permission for their relatives to visit them and confirm their well being.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
9/7/2008