The national organisation for Human Rights in Syria reported today that the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) issued a 12 year prison sentence against Mr. Mohammed Thabet Hilli pursuant to Article 49/1980 charged with affiliation to the Muslim Brotherhood Movement.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) had issued a statement on 26/6/2006 that the SSSC had sentenced three Syrian citizens to death which were then reduced to 12 year terms in prison. The three fellows from Jisr-elshoughoor were: Mohammed Thabit Hilli (38 years), Yusuf Omar Hussain (26 years) and Fu'ad Ali al-Shughri (44 years). The sentences were issued pursuant to article 49/1980 which condemns to death the mere membership to the Muslim Brotherhood Movement.  

An informed source in the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Movement assured SHRC that the three citizens have never been members of the MB movement.

It is worth noting that the three citizens had left Syria with their families in the early 1980's when they were children. Following the deterioration of security in Iraq and the targeting of Syrians resident there, they were obliged to return from their exile last year. They had received assurances from the Syrian embassy in Iraq for a safe return. However, they were arrested by the security forces upon arriving in Syria , subjected to interrogation, torture and degrading treatment, and later the SSSC issued unfair sentences against them. 

SHRC condemns these unjust sentences and requests the abolition of Article 49/1980, the release of all prisoners of conscience and opinion and political detainees. It also requests the termination of political detainment in Syria, the release of public freedoms and the cessation of intelligence and security authorities' involvement in the affairs of the citizens.   

Syrian Human Rights Committee

10/12/2006