The Syrian Human Rights Committee has learnt from a closely related source that the youth Suhaib Omar al-Olabi (19 years) from Harasta in the province of Rural Damascus was arrested at the Syrian-Lebanese border check-point a year and a half ago because he was holding religious books available for sale at bookshops. Nobody was able to know anything about his whereabouts and fate since he was captured.

Six months ago, his father Mr. Omar al-Olabi (45 years) was arrested from his workshop in Harasta for no known reason. Mr. Olabi is a father of four whose eldest is Suhaib and whose youngest is no older than four years. The place of his confinement is yet to be disclosed.

SHRC condemns all forms of despotic and arbitrary arrests, requests the Syrian authorities to immediately release father and son and to close the dossier of arbitrary arrests in Syria.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
27/12/2006