 |
SHRC 
The Syrian Authorities released detainees Ali Derbak (72 years), Rami Rukhamiah and Alaa' Mohyideen on Thursday, after approximately two months of detention, SHRC learnt today.
Their release came after SHRC had highlighted their stories in its previous press release issued on 16/3/2007, and had expressed its concern over their fates, particularly after news that Mr. Derbak had died due to a stroke he had suffered resulting from ill treatment, and after being transferred to hospital on 10/3/2007, began to circulate. The Syrian Security returned Derbak to the place in which he was initially being kept, allowed his family to visit him, and then released him, Rukhamiah and Mohyideen on Thursday.
SHRC congratulates the families of the three detainees upon the safe return of their loved ones, and once again calls upon the Syrian Authorities to stop its practise of arbitrarily arresting citizens, dealing with them secretly, and subjecting them to torture. SHRC also requests the Syrian Authorities to be transparent when dealing with detainees, rather than hiding them and disseminating false news in order to scare their families and blackmail them emotionally and materially. SHRC once again emphasises that torturing detainees is a clear violation of both Syrian and International laws.
Background Information:
SHRC expressed its concern over the life of Mr. Ali Derbak on 16/3/2007, after news which it was unable to confirm (due to the high secrecy practised by Syrian Intelligence) revealed that he had passed away in hospital after suffering from a stroke due to ill treatment he had received. SHRC had called upon the Syrian Authorities to reveal the fate of Mr. Derbak after the deterioration of his health and confirm the news of his death.
It was reported that elements of the Syrian Security arrested Mr. Derbak on 28/1/2007 because he wrote a poem in which he criticised the Shia. He wrote it after Al-Jazeera news channel revealed news that Al-Mahdi army militias had attacked and killed a number of Syrian refugees in Iraq. Mr. Derbak used a bookshop to photocopy his poem, and as a result, the owner of the bookshop, Rami Rukhamiah, was arrested although he had not been present at the time. In addition, Alaa' Mohyideen, who works in the shop and was present at the time was also arrested.
Syrian Human Rights Committee
22/3/2007 |
|
Read More in SHRC 
|
|
|