The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) has learnt from a close source that the Syrian Authorities released the engineer Abdul Sattar Qattan on Tuesday 12/6/2007. SHRC has not received any news about the latest update of his health, although he was witnessed to be suffering from deteriorating and ill health and almost in a disabled state in Sednaya Prison in April 2007.
In April 2007, SHRC launched a humanitarian campaign in conjunction with the Arab Orient Centre for Civilisation and Strategic Studies for the release of the engineer Abdul Sattar Qattan.
Abdul Sattar Qattan is a model example of arbitrarily arrests, who was subjected to exceptional laws. He has been arrested three times:
He was arrested due to his moderate Islamic tendencies between 1975 and 1977.
He was arrested a second time in 1979 for the same reason and suffered from severe torture in Tadmur Prison and other Interrogation Centres until his release in 1996.
Towards the end of 2004 he travelled to Saudi Arabia to visit some relatives and perform the rites of Umrah. Upon his return he was arrested on 27/11/2004, accused of providing financial aid to families of Islamic detainees and those who have disappeared in Syrian prisons since more than 27 years ago. He was exposed to severe torture during his interrogation and kept in a solitary cell over a long period of time. This had a negative effect on his health, and he suffered from heart problems. Subsequently, he began to suffer from many other illnesses and encounter several health problems. At 67 years of age, his health began to deteriorate and no sufficient care was provided. On 2/4/2006 the SSSC sentenced him to death according to law 49/1980. The sentence was then reduced to a 12 year sentence with labour, which stripped him of his civil rights.
SHRC thanks all those who signed the humanitarian campaign and contributed for the release of Mr. Abdul Sattar Qattan, and calls upon President Bashar al-Asad to immediately release all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners in Syria. SHRC also calls for an immediate end to all kinds of arbitrary and repressive arrests and to give the fair independent courts a greater role.
Syrian Human Rights Committee
13/6/2007
 

Special Thanks
With the release of the engineer Abdul Sattar Qattan, the Arab Orient Centre for Civilisation and Strategic Studies and the Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) end their campaign for his release. Many thanks go to all those who took part in this campaign and contributed towards his release.
The Arab Orient Centre for Civilisation and Strategic Studies
Syrian Human Rights Committee
13/6/2007