Ms. Nancy Pelosi
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
USA

Dear Ms. Nancy Pelosi

Re: Human Rights Situation in Syria
We welcome your visit to our dear country Syria, and hope that you will have a productive stay, bringing about the best for both the Syrian and American peoples and what is most fruitful for both countries. In order for this to happen, it is essential that we inform you of the actuality of human rights in Syria:

Syria is governed by the state of emergency laws which violate freedoms and human rights, and allow the Syrian Security, Intelligence and Military Courts to control the country. These laws have been in force for more than forty-four years.
In Syria today, there exists more than 4000 political detainees and prisoners of conscience being trialled either due to their peaceful opposition to the regime or due to being related to members of the opposition.
In addition, more than 17000 detainees, arrested more than twenty-five years ago, have completely disappeared from Syrian prisons. The Syrian regime still refuses to reveal any information surrounding their fates.
Hundreds of thousands of Syrian exiles are also refused their right to a peaceful and safe return to their country due to their opposition to the Syrian regime, or because they are the children/grandchildren of members of the opposition.
In Syria, certain ethnic groups also face prosecution due to the laws and practise of the regime e.g. Kurds cannot practise their basic and cultural rights.
There also exist laws in which individuals are sentenced to death simply due to their political or intellectual affiliation to certain trends. These laws are still in force and are being implemented to this day.
During Bashar al-Asad's tenure, individuals who have called for reform and democracy have been arbitrarily arrested, and have had to endure certain periods of detainment in prison for that matter.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) hopes that these issues will be brought up and discussed during your talks with Syrian officials, as they are the most important and pressing issues for the Syrian people. Even after nearly half a century of oppression, the Syrian people still look forward to reform, freedom, democracy and respect of human rights, and hope that your visit will have a positive immediate impact on the human rights situation in Syria.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee