Anwar al-Bunni appeared before the Damascus Criminal Court on January 21, 2007, and his trial, which was attended by Western diplomats as well as activists and lawyers, was postponed to February 18, 2007. In an unprecedented move, the Syrian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has declared before the criminal court its intention to criminalize activist lawyer Anwar Bunni and then to present the ruling, once it comes out, to the Ministry of the Interior in order to strip Bunni of his citizenship. The Ministry, which called for the maximum sentence, also demanded compensation for all the sums received by Bunni from the EU Commission, as director of the (partially EU-funded) center for human rights which he opened in Syria and which the Syrian authorities shut down a week after its opening.

The final hearing took place on April 3, 2007. The verdict was delivered on April 24, 2007. He was condemned to the maximum sentence he could face : five year jail and 2000 $ fine for spreading false news. He is currently in Adra prison till May 2011.

RECOMMENDED ACTION : Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Arabic, English, French or your own language :

• calling for all charges against Anwar al-Bunni  to be dropped since they appear to be a consequence of his  exercising their right to express their beliefs ;
• calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Anwar al-Bunni  as held as prisoners of conscience ;
• seeking assurances that he  will be well-treated, and not tortured or ill-treated, while in custody ;
• urging them to implement measures laid out in the UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms Declaration, which allow for « the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels ».

APPEALS TO :
(Please note that it may be difficult to get through to the fax numbers ; please keep trying)
President
His Excellency Bashar al-Assad
Presidential Palace
al-Rashid Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax : + 963 11 332 3410
Salutation : Your Excellency

Minister of Defence
His Excellency General
Hassan Ali Turkmani
Ministry of Defence
Omayyad Square
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax : +963 11 223 7842
Salutation : Your Excellency

Minister of Justice
His Excellency Muhammad al-Ghafari
Ministry of Justice
Al-Nasr Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax : +963 11 666 2460
Salutation : Your Excellency

Minister of Foreign Affairs
His Excellency Walid Mu’allim
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
al-Rashid Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax : + 963 11 332 7620
Salutation : Your Excellency

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Syria in your respective countries.