The Supreme State Security Court  Court (SSSC) in Damascus sentenced on19/9/2006 the citizen Ammar Na’san, accused of belonging to a Salafi tendency, to five years in prison.

This is while the SSSC delayed the sentencing of the “al-Otaiba” group, made up of ten citizens from Rural Damascus, accused of forming an extremist Salafi organisation.

The SSSC has also delayed the sentencing of the Qatna detainees, 15 activists who were arrested for the same reasons, till 31st October.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) has also learnt that the detainees have been forbidden to see their families and friends, or to appoint lawyers to defend themselves.

SHRC condemns the continuous arbitrary arrests and unfair courts that violate the rights of Syrian citizens, and calls upon the Syrian authorities to allow for freedom of expression, thought and for citizens to choose and follow what school of thought they prefer without any external pressures, and to immediately release the detainees of the above mentioned organisation.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
20/9/2006