Haytham al-Maleh a 78-year-old male human rights lawyer and former
president of the Syrian Human Rights Society, has been held incommunicado since
his arrest by Syrian Political Security personnel on 14 October in Syria’s
capital, Damascus
On 13 October 2009, Haytham al-Maleh, was summoned by Syrian Political
Security in Damascus for an inquiry and has since vanished. He left his
home on the morning of 14 October 2009 and by noon hour his phone was off
- it became clear that he was disappeared.
Haythamal-Maleh
spoke by phone on Oct. 12, 2009 to the presenter of the Panorama
show on the Barada television channel about the
intensifying security grip in Syria. Al-Maleh
told Panorama that the situation this year was worse than the last, since
arrests were increasing. He gave the example of his colleague Muhannad al-Husni who was
arrested simply for monitoring public trials and sentences issued during
them. State security arrested him and the magistrate issued an arrest
warrant against him, the Syrian judiciary continuing to be under control.
The syndicate and state security then brought a disciplinary action
against him. He pointed
out that all actors in the political and social fields in Syria are
moving peacefully. For example, the Damascus Declaration calls for peaceful,
democratic, and progressive change. No one believes that violence or
revolution leads to change. He stressed that the state has huge potential
in terms of intelligence, police, weapons and means of repression, but
that they barricade themselves behind laws, beyond any concept of rights
or justice.
Haytham al-Maleh was disappeared for
5 days, reappearing only on 19
October 2009 when he was moved to a branch of the Military Police
in Qaboun, Damascus. He was brought before the
Military General Prosecutor who charged him with: "contempt of the
Head of State", "contempt of public Administration", and
the "crime of disseminating false information that would affect the
morale of the nation".
Following his reappearance on
19 October 2009, Alkarama submitted Haytham al-Maleh's case to
the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (on 27 October 2009) asking them
to intervene in this regard, in order that he be released or that he be
given a fair trial in observance with international human rights norms.
Haytham al-Maleh, was charged by a military judge on 3 November with “conveying false news” about the human
rights situation in Syria. He faces up to 15 years’
imprisonment if convicted.The
charges against Haytham
al-Maleh also include weakening national
sentiment and slandering a governmental body.
He is the lawyer of Muhammad
al-Hassani, a jailed human rights defender.
Haytham al-Maleh
suffers from diabetes and an overactive thyroid gland. Both conditions
require the regular intake of appropriate medication, diet and medical
supervision to ensure that his health remains sound.
Haytham al-Maleh, a
prominent lawyer, human rights activist and former president of the
Syrian Human Rights Society, has been fighting for more than 50 years in defence of human rights in his nation. It's a battle that has cost him dearly on many occasions. Haytham al-Maleh has been repeatedly harassed accused and jailed
for his human rights work in Syria, where he defends cases which often
oppose decisions made by the authorities' or security forces. For many
years during the 1980s he was subject to detention because of his defense of human rights and liberties in SyriaHe was imprisoned
from 1980 to 1987 for his
activities in the Freedom
and Human Rights Committee of the Syrian Lawyers Union, the local bar association. He's already spent seven years in prison.
When President Bashar al-Assad had come to power following
the death of his father, the dictator Hafaz al-Assad , Haitham Maleh was hopeful about the future of his
country. Around this time, political prisoners were released and the people appeared
to gain a little more freedom.
Mr Maleh,
who had already spent many years fighting for human rights in Syria, seized the moment and co-founded the Human Rights Association in Syria
(HRAS), an unlicensed human
rights group
In 2002, he was brought before a military tribunal for publishing
a magazine in Lebanon, but was later released due to a decision by the
President of the Republic, Bashar al-Assad.
Subsequently, he had his lawyer's license revoked in 2004 and has several
times been banned from travel and from giving lectures. In 2006, the Dutch government awarded him the Geuzen Medal for his “courageous fight for human rights,” but the Syrian government did not allow him to travel to the Netherlands
to receive the prize
in person.
Among other lawyers
persecuted by the Regime
in Syria : Ryad al-Türk, Aktham Naisse, Anwar al-Bunni,
Haytham al-Maleh, et
Muhamad al-Hassani.
PLEASE
WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Arabic, English, French or your own language:
-Expressing concern that Haytham al-Maleh appears to
be a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of
his right to freedom of expression;
-Calling on the authorities to
release him immediately and unconditionally if this is the case;
-Calling on the authorities to
ensure that he will not be tortured or otherwise ill-treated, and
reminding them that Syria is a state party to the UN Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
-Urging the authorities to
immediately allow him visits from his family, a lawyer of his choosing,
an appropriate diet and any medical treatment he may require.
APPEALS
TO:
President
Bashar al-Assad
Presidential Palace
al-Rashid Street
Damascus
Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: +963 11 332 3410
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Interior
His Excellency Major S’aid Mohamed Samour
Ministry of Interior
‘Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar Street
Damascus
Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: +963 11 222 3428
Salutation: Your Excellency
And copies to:
Minister of Foreign Affairs
His Excellency Walid al-Mua’llim
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
‘Abu Rummaneh
al-Rashid Street
Damascus
Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: +963 11 332 7620
Salutation: Your Excellency
PLEASE
TAKE ACTION NOW.
COPY THE ENCLOSED LETTER AND SEND IT TO THE ABOVE
ADDRESS PROVIDED.
LETTER:
[Your
name here]
Your Excellency
I would like
to express my concern
about the situation of Haytham al- Malah, elderly Syrian lawyer, arrested on 14 October at his office and held in secret in a detention
centre in the Kafr Sousa area of Damascus. On 20 October, he was brought
before the Military general prosecutor who read out the charges against him. On 25 October, he will be brought
before a judge, who will decide whether he should face trial on these charges. If the judge
decides he should be tried, and he is convicted, Haytham al-Maleh faces between three and 15 years’ imprisonment.
Haytham al-Maleh is facing charges of “insulting the president”, “insulting the judiciary”, “conveying within Syria false news that could debilitate the morale
of the nation” and “weakening nationalist sentiments”. The charges relate to an interview
he gave in September
to European-based
satellite broadcaster Baradda TV, and also articles and reports he
has published over three
years about government
corruption and human rights
abuses in Syria.
As he peacefully exercised his right to freedom of expression, I call on you
to release Haytham al- Maleh
immediately and unconditionally
unless he is to be accused with recognizably criminal offences and tried according to fair trial
standards.
I also remind
you that, in its quality of member state to the UN Convention against
Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman
and Degrading Treatment
or Punishment, Syria
must ensure that he will not be tortured or otherwise ill-treated.
I urge you to ensure
that he has access to any medical attention he may require and that he is
allowed to regular visits from his family.
Yours sincerely
[Signature]
PLEASE
ACT NOW.
THANK YOU.
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