The Syrian citizen Mohammed Abdulkader Qattan (Aleppo) was released on Tuesday 19/12/2006 after spending two years in the American prisons in Iraq without reason. Although he was declared innocent months ago, he was kept in jail until yesterday. Mr. Abdulghani Mostafa Hamdo (Coastal region) was also released after a year of detainment in the American prisons in Iraq without reason or trial.

The two Syrian citizens have been living in Iraq along with hundreds of other Syrian families for a quarter of a century after being pursued by the Syrian Authorities due to their opposition to the ruling regime in Damascus. Following the American invasion in 2003, some Syrian citizens returned to Syria where the majority of them were arrested and referred to the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) which sentenced them to prison terms reaching up to 12 years. Subsequently, they were tortured and dehumanised. Some detainees have vanished in prison; where they have neither been referred to courts nor have their names been reported among detainees in Sednaya prison.

It is worth mentioning that scores of Syrian citizens residing in Iraq have been arrested either by the American forces or the Iraqi Interior Ministry forces from their homes, places of work or from the streets for the mere reason of being Syrians. Brutal measurements have been taken against them such as terminating their permanent permit to stay in Iraq, after a quarter of a century of continuous stay in the country. A number of them were killed in the streets, during raids on their houses or at checkpoints without convincing reasons.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee condemns the arrests, persecution and murdering of Syrians living in Iraq, requesting the immediate release of all Syrians from the American and Iraqi prisons. The Syrian authorities however are duly to blame for the ordeal of the Syrian citizens living in Iraq because they denied them the right to peaceful return to their country. United Nations High Commission of Refugees (UNHCR) is not to be excluded from failing to carry out their responsibility and humanitarian obligation. SHRC and other groups contacted them directly and sent them numerous appeals but to no avails.

Syrian Human Rights Committee

20/12/2006