The First Criminal Court headed by Judge Muhyidden al-Hallaq issued unfair sentences against the leaders of Damascus Declaration for National Democratic Change. They are: Dr. Fidaa Akram al-Horani chair of the national council, Mr. Riyadh Saif chair of the secretariat general of the national council, the two secretaries Dr. Ahmad To’ma al-Khidr and Mr. Akram al-Bunni, members of the secretariat general Mr. ali al-Abdullah, Mr. Jabr al-Shufi, Dr. Walid al-Bunni, Dr. Yaser al-Iti and members of the national council Mr. Mohammed Hajji Darwich, Mr. Marwan al-Ush, Mr. Fayez Sarah and Mr. Talal Abudan 
The decisions of the court included:
Condemning all defendants of weakening the national feeling and sentencing them for 3 year temporary detainment pursuant to article 285
Condemning all defendants of spreading false information that weakens the morale of the nation and sentencing them for 3 year temporary detainment pursuant to article 286
Merging the two penalties and reducing them to two years and a half
Detain the defendants, stripping them from their civil rights and pay all due fines.
The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) expresses its conviction that the sentence issued against the leaders of the Damascus Declaration is a political decision and has nothing to do with the just and impartial judiciary. The court did not adhere to the rules of the Syrian constitution and the conventions that Syria is part of which permits freedom of speech and the freedom of positive action in general affairs. In addition, the arrests took place outside the  law, the court was unfair, and the defendants were denied their rights to defend themselves as well as the principle guarantees granted to them by both the Syrian constitution and the international covenants. Some detainees were subjected to torture and ill treatment; others were confined in solitary cells or isolated with criminal prisoners.
Therefore, the Syrian Human Rights Committee( SHRC) unequivocally  condemns the issued sentences and calls upon the president Bashar Al-Asad to immediately disqualify them and release the detainees, as well as putting an end to the use of emergency laws and arbitrary and oppressive arrests.
Syrian Human Rights Committee
29/10/2008

Background:
The Damascus-Declaration for national democratic change met on 1/12/2007 to elect a new leadership. Within a matter of days, the Syrian security intelligence began a campaign of arrests targeting tens of people. Those of them that were sentenced today include:
-Ahmed To’ma al-Khidr (Deir Alzour, 1965), dentist. Arrested 9/12/2007
-Akram al-Bunni (Hama, 1956), writer and journalist. Arrested 9/12/2007. Detained previously for 17 years.
-Ali al-Abdullah (Deir Alzour, 1950), writer and journalist. Arrested 17/12/2007. Detained three times previously.
- Yaser Al-Iti (Damascus, 1968), Specialist doctor, writer and poet. Arrested 17/12/2007
-Jabr Al-Shufi (Alsuwaida’,1947), literary critic. Arrested 9/12/2007.
- Fidaa’ Akram al-Horani (Hama, 1956), gynaecologist and director of Al-Hourani hospital in Hama. Arrested 16/12/2007.
- Walid al-Bunni (Rural Damascus, 1964), specialist ENT doctor. Arrested 17/12/2007
- Fayez Sarah (Rural Damascus, 1950), journalist, reporter and writer. Arrested 2/1/2008.
- Muhammed Hajji Darweesh (Jisr Alshaghoor/Idlib 1960), Chemist and director of drug factory in Aleppo. Arrested 7/1/2008.
- Marwan al-Ush (Al-zabadani/Rural Damascus, 1956), geological engineer. Arrested 15/1/2008.
- Riyadh Saif (Damascus, 1946), inventor. Arrested 28/1/2008.
- Talal Abudan (Aleppo, 1953), Designer artist. Arrested 30/1/2008.