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SYRIE
15 mars
2013
Khalil Maatouk
Qu’est-il
devenu ?
L’IDHAE a reçu des informations
provenant de sources très fiables selon lesquelles Khalil Maatouk demeure
détenu au secret et se voit refuser l'accès à un traitement médical
nécessaire pour la maladie pulmonaire grave qui diminue sa capacité pulmonaire de
60%. Ni la famille, ni les avocats ont été
autorisés à le voir à ce jour. Plusieurs témoins, anciens détenus à la section 285 de la Sécurité de l’État
à Kafr Soussa, à Damas,
ont affirmé avoir vu Khalil Maatouk dans
ce centre de détention au début de 2013.
Une requête avait été présentée au parquet par plusieurs avocats.
Mais en février 2013, le procureur général a affirmé que Khalil Maatouk n’était pas en détention.
Il y a lieu d’être d’autant plus inquiet pour sa sécurité et sa
santé.
Le 2 octobre 2012, au petit matin, le directeur exécutif du
Centre syrien d’Etudes et de Recherches juridiques à Damas, Khalil Maatouk, 53 ans, a été arrêté par un groupe d'hommes
armés en civil des forces de sécurité, à l’un des barrages placés sur la
route de son domicile de Sahnaya, dans la
banlieue de Damas, à son cabinet à Damas avec son chauffeur Mohammed Zaza. Peu après neuf heures du matin, les téléphones
des deux hommes ont cessé de fonctionner.
Emmené vers une destination inconnue, Khalil Maatouk est toujours détenu au secret. Il souffre de
graves problèmes de santé chroniques et notamment d'une maladie pulmonaire
compliquée et son état précaire exige des soins médicaux constants. A peine
quelques jours avant son arrestation, il venait de rentrer en Syrie à la
suite d'un voyage médical en France, pour se faire soigner. Il est Khalil Maatouk, maintenu en détention dans des conditions
difficiles en dépit de son état de santé plus que préoccupant - pour
permettre à leurs compatriotes de faire valoir leurs droits
Membre de la minorité chrétienne de Syrie, Khalil Maatouk, d'origine kurde, est bien connu depuis des
décennies pour son engagement dans la défense des victimes de violations
des droits de l’homme en Syrie, au premier rang desquels les détenus
politiques. Il a défendu, des centaines de prisonniers politiques et
prisonniers d'opinion, y compris devant la Cour suprême de sûreté de
l'Etat. Bien qu’il ne soit considéré ni comme un membre de l'opposition, ni
comme un partisan du régime, en février 2005, il avait été l’une des
personnalités signataires, avec Anouar Bounni,
d’une lettre ouverte au président Bachar al-Assad
pour demander le retrait de l'armée syrienne du Liban. En 2006, il avait
défendu des journalistes condamnés pour avoir "dénoncé les lois d'état
d'urgence", en vigueur depuis 1963. Depuis le soulèvement de 2011, il
était l'avocat des militants, arrêtés lors de manifestation appelant à la
libération de détenus politiques, et notamment de Riad Seif,
64 ans, un vétéran de la lutte pour les droits de l'homme en Syrie, atteint
d'un cancer et inculpé pour avoir enfreint l'interdiction de manifester.
Par une déclaration officielle du 4 octobre 2012, Catherine Ashton,
Haute Représentante de l'Union pour les affaires étrangères et la politique
de sécurité et vice-présidente de la Commission, a demandé « instamment » que Khalil Maatouk « soit
libéré immédiatement ».
IDHAE urges the authorities in Syria to:
1. Immediately and unconditionally release
human rights defender Khalil Maatouk;
2. Immediately disclose the whereabouts of
Khalil Maatouk;
3. Grant Khalil Maatouk
immediate and unfettered access to the medical treatment which he requires;
4. Grant Khalil Maatouk
immediate and unfettered access to his families and lawyers;
5. Guarantee the physical and
psychological integrity and security of Khalil Maatouk;
6. Guarantee in all circumstances that all
human rights defenders in Syria are able to carry out their legitimate
human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all
restrictions including judicial harassment.
MERCI D’INTERVENIR IMMEDIATEMENT
ATTORNEY URGENT ALERT
SYRIA
15 March 2013
Khalil Maatouk
in incommunicado and arbitrary detention
IDHAE
expresses deep concern for Khalil Maatouk's
physical and psychological integrity, especially given that he has a poor
health condition and the fact that torture and ill-treatment of detainees
in Syria is systematic.
IDHAE has
received information from reliable sources that human rights lawyer Khalil Maatouk remains in incommunicado and arbitrary
detention and is being denied access to necessary medical treatment for
severe lung disease.
It is
reported that the human rights lawyer is being detained at State Security
Branch 285 in Kafr Soussa
in Damascus, however authorities have denied that
this is the case. Khalil Maatouk suffers from a
serious lung disease, which diminishes his lung capacity by 60%. He is
reportedly being denied medication, which he took regularly prior to his
detention to help his condition.
Khalil Maatouk has been in detention for over 149 days,
despite the fact that Syrian law only allows a person to be detained for a
maximum of sixty days for the purposes of investigation. When this sixty-day detention period expired
a group of lawyers in the country wrote to the Attorney General in Damascus
demanding the release of the human rights defender. The Attorney General
replied that Khalil Maatouk was not being held in
detention despite the fact that recently released detainees confirmed that they
had seen him in State Security Branch 285 within the past month. This
raises concerns that the human rights lawyer has been subjected to an
enforced disappearance. Neither
family nor lawyers have been permitted to see him to date and the recent
statement from the Attorney General that he is not being held by the State
raises serious and urgent questions regarding his safety and health.
On 2 October
2012, a group of armed men in civilian clothes have arrested human rights
lawyer Khalil Maatouk, executive director of the
Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research, at a checkpoint positioned on
the Syria/Jordan international Highway. Khalil Maatouk
was arrested as he was on his way from home in Sahnaya
to his office in the capital Damascus. There is a strong believe that this
group of armed men is part of the security forces in Syria.
Khalil Maatouk is a prominent human rights lawyer, who is
well-known for his valuable work at the Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and
Research which includes defending many detained human rights defenders in
Syria.
Following his
arrest on 02 October 2012, Khalil Maatouk was
taken to an unknown destination where he remains held incommunicado. There
are fears that he may be tortured or ill-treated.
Khalil Maatouk is suffering from some chronic health problems.
He is just back from a treatment trip outside the country and needs a
constant medical care.
IDHAE strongly believes that Khalil Maatouk has been arrested as a result of his peaceful
and legitimate work in defence of human rights,
in particular his work to defend the rights of detainees in Syria. The GCHR
is very concerned that the arrest of Khalil Maatouk
is part of an ongoing trend of harassment against human rights defenders in
Syria.
IDHAE urges the authorities in Syria to:
· Immediately and unconditionally release
human rights defender Khalil Maatouk;
· Immediately disclose the whereabouts of
Khalil Maatouk;
· Grant Khalil Maatouk
immediate and unfettered access to the medical treatment which he requires;
· Grant Khalil Maatouk
immediate and unfettered access to his families and lawyers;
· Guarantee the physical and
psychological integrity and security of Khalil Maatouk;
· Guarantee in all circumstances that all
human rights defenders in Syria are able to carry out their legitimate
human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all
restrictions including judicial harassment.
PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW
Subject: Release of nonviolent
prisoners of conscience Mr. Khalil Maatouk
Your letter: To the relevant
authorities,
I am requesting the unconditional, immediate release of Mr. Khalil Maatouk from detention in Syria’s security system.
Mr. Khalil Maatouk and his driver Mohamed Zaza have been arbitrarily detained while on their way
to work the morning of October 2, 2012. Mr. Khalil Maatouk
is a professor and prominent Syrian human rights lawyer and president of
the Syrian Center for the Defense of prisoners of conscience in Syria along
with being the executive director the Syrian Center for Legal Studies and
Research. Khalil Maatouk and his driver Mohamed Zaza have been held incommunicado since their arrest
according to reports. There is a concern; Khalil who is elderly does have
problems with his health, and requires medical treatments that he is
currently being denied.
Khalil Matouk has been in detention for
over 149 days, despite the fact that Syrian law only allows a person to be
detained for a maximum of sixty days for the purposes of
investigation. When this sixty-day
detention period expired a group of lawyers in the country wrote to the
Attorney General in Damascus demanding the release of the human rights
defender. The Attorney General replied that Khalil Matouk
was not being held in detention despite the fact that recently released
detainees confirmed that they had seen him in State Security Branch 285
within the past month. This raises concerns that the human rights lawyer
has been subjected to an enforced disappearance. Neither family nor lawyers have been
permitted to see him to date and the recent statement from the Attorney
General that he is not being held by the State raises serious and urgent
questions regarding his safety and health.
Arbitrary detention is illegal according to Article 7 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, endorsed by Syria in
1969 and 1976.
In addition, I remind you that torture is illegal in Syria, according
to Article 28 (3) of the Syrian Constitution. The Penal Code of Syria
stipulates punishment for anyone inflicting torture.
I hold the Syrian government responsible for the safe return of Mr.
Khalil Maatouk and his driver Mr. Mohamed Zaza. I further request that all prisoners of
conscience be released immediately and unconditionally.
Sincerely,
Addresses:
PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO:
Président de la Syrie
Bashar al-Assad
Fax : +963 11 332 3410 (merci de vous montrer persévérant-e
; dites « fax » si quelqu’un décroche ; le fax est le seul moyen de
communication fiable, n’envoyez pas de lettres SVP)
Formule d’appel : Your Excellency,
/ Monsieur le Président,
Ministre de l’Intérieur
Major General Mohamad Ibrahim al-Shaar
Fax : +963 11 311 0554 (dites « fax » si quelqu’un décroche ; le fax est le
seul moyen de communication fiable, n’envoyez pas de lettres SVP)
Formule d’appel : Your Excellency,
/ Monsieur le Ministre,
Ministre des Affaires
étrangères
Walid al-Mu’allim
Fax : +963 11 214 6253 (merci de vous montrer persévérant-e
; dites « fax » si quelqu’un décroche ; le fax est le seul moyen de
communication fiable, n’envoyez pas de lettres SVP)
Formule d’appel : Your Excellency,
/ Monsieur le Ministre,
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your
country.
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