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| Unfair Trial Against Syrian Human Rights Defender | Date: 13-08-2004 |
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Unfair Trial Against Syrian Human Rights Defender The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) is deeply concerned about the hearing of Mr. Aktham Naisse, before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) in Damascus, on Monday 16 August. The EMHRN is worried that the trial against Mr. Naisse is not fair. The EMHRN recalls that the SSSC is an exceptional Court which clearly fails to present the guarantees of a fair trial. This is confirmed in the report of Egyptian Attorney at Law, Mr. Negad El Borai, mandated by the EMHRN to observe the previous hearing on 26 July. This statement is based upon the following: Decree 47 of 1968 provides that usual criminal procedures relative to a fair trial are not applicable before this Court. The SSSC does not fall under the authority of the higher judiciary but under the National Security Office of the ruling Baath Party. Out of the three judges in the panel, one was a military. The decisions of the SSSC cannot be appealed. Mr. Naisse was not allowed to meet privately with his lawyers. Aktham Naisse, President of the Committees for the Defence of Democratic Liberties and Human Rights in Syria (CDF), member organisation of the EMHRN, has been detained since 13 April 2004. He has been charged with “opposing the objectives of the revolution”, “disseminating false information aiming at weakening the State” and “affiliation with international organisations”. Therefore he risks up to 15 years of forced labour. The EMHRN suspects that the detention of and trial against Mr. Naisse is solely due to his activities as a Human Rights defender. The Syrian authorities’ harassment on Mr. Naisse are seen in the light of the alarmingly deteriorated Human Rights situation in Syria and the recent reports on torture to death of 2 Syrian Kurds in Syrian prisons. The EMHRN calls upon the Syrian Authorities to: guarantee that Mr. Naisse receives a fair trial according to international standards; guarantee Aktham Naisse’s access to health care; put an end to harassment, intimidation, threats, imprisonment, torture and deliberate attacks on human rights defenders, and to respect its human rights commitments according to international standards and as expressed in the 1995 Barcelona Declaration to which Syria is committed as well as the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (of 9 December 1998); respect the Human Rights clause (article 2) in the Association Agreement which the EU is about to conclude with Syria. Article 2 reasserts the respect, by the parties, of basic principles of democracy and human rights. The credibility of such an agreement would be at stake should Mr. Naisse not receive a fair trial. The EMHRN further calls upon: the European Union to demand that Syria respects international human rights and international laws, particularly now that the EU is in the process of negotiating an Association Agreement with Syria; the international community to express their concern about the situation for human rights defenders and human rights organisations in Syria, and to continue supporting them; the representatives of the foreign diplomatic cores and delegations of the EU Commission and EU Member States to be present at the hearing. The report is available at the EMHRN website For further information please contact: Marit Floe Joergensen, Information Officer Tel: +45-32 69 89 12 / Fax: +45-32 95 65 54 |
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