The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) has received a second complaint from the Maltese citizen Josephine al-Doghim, who lives in the city of Valeta in Malta. Josephine’s husband, Hussein Ismail al-Doghim (who holds dual Syrian/Maltese citizenship) left his home in Malta 29/12/2006 to attend Eid al-Adha celebrations with his family in Jarjanaaz (province of Idlib). He phoned her when he arrived in Cyprus and informed her that he had left to Damascus on an UAE flight. On the morning of Saturday 30/12/2006 he phoned her on his mobile and informed her that he had been arrested by the Syrian Security in Damascus International Airport. 

SHRC had contacted many humanitarian organisations to campaign for his release at that time. In addition, the Maltese government got involved with the case in order to secure his release. By the time he was released on Thursday 5/4/2007, he had been detained in the prisons of the Syrian Security for three months and a week. Subsequently, he had called his wife, reassuring and promising her to return to Malta immediately once he would secure the cost of a ticket because he had lost all his money during his detainment. However, he did not return. His wife has learnt that after spending a week with his family and preparing to return to Malta, the State Security Intelligence raided his home on Thursday 12/4/2007 and arrested him. He remains detained although he had only been previously released. His wife and daughters, who have no breadwinner except him, are still waiting for him. 

Hussein al-Doghim’s family, in both Syria and Malta, call for his release and ask those of human conscious to help them to return him to his family in Malta.

SHRC would also like to point to the chaotic nature of the Syrian Security and its numerous branches and apparatus and the lack of order within them; for when a detainee is released by a certain branch, another branch arrests him, and his interrogation begins again! This is followed by various types of torture he is subjected to, mental and physical, ill and humiliating treatment, lack of concern in the detainee’s health, and attempts to aggravate him. In addition, all kinds of accusations are hurled at him.

SHRC severely condemns all arbitrary arrests and attempts made by the Syrian Intelligence to aggravate detainees. SHRC calls upon the Syrian Authorities to immediately release Mr. Hussein al-Doghim and to allow for his immediate secure return to his family in Malta.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
30/4/2007