The Syrian Human Rights Committee calls for the immediate release of  Mr. Riyadh Seif, and that he would be permitted to travel abroad to seek proper treatment to save his life. The SHRC spokesperson expresses his concerns that the last surgery  he undertook in the prison is not enough to save his life, and that his detention’s circumstances would not help his health condition to remain stable nor to regain his full recovery.
Syrian Human Rights Committee
27/1/2009

Background
Annida learnt that Mr. Riyadh Seif, chair of the Secretariat board of the Damascus Declaration was admitted to hospital on Sunday morning 25/1/2009 for urgent investigations which resulted in Prostate surgery.  
Mr. Saif suffers of an advanced condition of Prostate Cancer due to the delay in undertaking surgical operation during his first detainment (post Damascus spring). Security apparatus banned him from travelling abroad to seek an advanced medical treatment, which is not available in Syria. He was arrested later in the campaign against Damascus Declaration due to the convention of its National Council in 1/12/2007. He was operated on in a local private hospital under the security apparatus control, but he was later arrested and sentenced along with his colleagues to two years and a half in prison. 
Currently, the health situation of Mr. Seif is seriously deteriorating as a consequence of the Syrian authorities’ disregard of his situation and its lack of response to the Syrian and international calls to release him.
We sincerely wish Mr. Riaydh Seif to regain his health soon, whilst holding the Syrian authorities the responsibility for the deterioration of his health, and we call for his release along with all his colleagues. 
Annida
The official site of Damascus Declaration for Democratic Change