An informed source has told the Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) that the youth Yasser Al-Aabed was arrested from his home in Damascus, and in front of his wife, in January 2008. Five months following his arrest, his family have not been informed of his place of detention, and are not allowed to speak to him, even to inform him of his newborn daughter. The source also reported that Yasser Al-Aabed's family has been subjected to financial blackmail by intelligence elements, yet after receiving the amount required they did not organise a visit for him as promised.
It is thought that the Syrian Authorities accuse Yasser Al-Aabed of surfing and reading articles on government opposition websites.
SHRC considers the citizen Yasser Al-Aabed a victim of arbitrary and oppressive detention, condemns the corruption spread within the intelligence apparatus in Syria and calls for his immediate release and an end to all arbitrary arrests. SHRC also calls for an end to chasing up citizens for their use of the internet as this contradicts with their basic liberties.
Syrian Human Rights Committee
29/5/2008