HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP: SARG CONTINUES ARREST

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 001723 SIPDIS SIPDIS LONDON FOR TSOU, PARIS FOR ZEYA E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/12/2016 TAGS: PHUM PGOV SY SUBJECT: HUMAN RIGHTS ROUNDUP: SARG CONTINUES ARREST CAMPAIGN; INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION STATEMENTS ON SYRIA WELCOMED BY CIVIL SOCIETY REF: (A) DAMASCUS 01358 (B) DAMASCUS 1297 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4(b)/(d ) ¶1. (C) ABDULLAH FAMILY MEMBERS REMAIN INCOMMUNICADO: Father-and-son civil society activists Ali and Mohammed Abdullah remain incommunicado following their March 23 arrest (ref A). Abdullah's wife Wifa'a (and human rights activist Rezan Zeituneh) told Poloff on April 13 that the whereabouts of her husband and son are unknown, as is the identity of the security service that arrested them. (NOTE: A second Abdullah son, Omar, has also been detained since March 18 by Air Force Intelligence for his connection to a pro-democracy student group. END NOTE.) Following tips, Mrs. Abdullah and Zeituneh have visited multiple security service branches to inquire about the two men's fates with no success. Mrs. Abdullah also made clear that she is focused on getting her husband released, as she is most concerned that SARG authorities would torture or even kill him: "If he is released, he can then work for the release of the two boys." Mrs. Abdullah expressed her frustration that the arrests had received minimal coverage in the regional Arab press, including even on al-Hurra. Zeituneh joked, "Soon we (human rights activists) will have to turn to the Israeli press to get any human rights coverage here..." Zeituneh also noted that Mrs. Abdullah and her 17-year old daughter are facing tremendous financial difficulties, as all three male breadwinners are now in custody. Mrs. Abdullah asked that the USG apply quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomatic pressure on the SARG to release at least her husband. ¶2. (C) ARREST WAVE, DETENTIONS CONTINUE: The SARG has continued its wave of arrests over the last several weeks. Syrian officials arrested author Mohammed Ghanem on March 31 at his home in ar-Raqqah, in northern Syria. Ghanem, who is thought to be Alawi, has been a vocal supporter of Kurdish rights and had been previously detained for one month in ¶2004. He is thought to be held at the infamous Syrian Military Intelligence (SMI) Palestinian Branch. Writer and poet Faez al-Halaaq was arrested by SMI in Lattakia on March 26 and is also thought to be held at the Palestinian Branch. Other politically-motivated arrests were reported in as-Salamiya, Damascus, Idlib, and Lattakia. Meanwhile, an estimated hundred people remain in custody in Aleppo following their arrest at a candlelight vigil commemorating the Kurdish New Year Now Ruz in late March (ref B). ¶3. (C) LENGTHY JAIL SENTENCES HANDED DOWN TO ACTIVISTS: In two widely-covered decisions, the State Security Court sentenced two civil society activists to lengthy jail terms on April 2. Sheikh Riad Drar al-Hamood, an Arab cleric and civil rights activist, was sentenced to five years in prison for criticizing the SARG during a eulogy for the slain Kurdish leader Mashook al-Khaznawi that Drar delivered in June 2005. Meanwhile, former political prisoner Abdul Sattar Qattan was sentenced to death, commuted to 12 years in prison, for membership in the Muslim Brotherhood. Qattan has been jailed since November 2004 after distributing aid to ex-political detainees. Zeituneh commented that the Qattan family is facing financial ruin, as Qattan's wife, divorced daughter, and grandson are without a male breadwinner. ¶4. (C) INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS' STATEMENTS ON SYRIA WELCOMED BY CIVIL SOCIETY: Public statements condemning the recent SARG crackdown on civil society by Human Rights Watch (HRW),Amnesty International (AI),and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) have been welcomed by local human rights activists. HRW received glowing praise from Bunni, Zeituneh, and fellow activist Radwan Zyadeh, following its release of a number of press statements on recent arrests and an April 11 letter addressed to President Bashar al-Asad from HRW's Executive Director for the Middle East and North Africa's Division. On March 31, RSF distributed a press release condemning the arrest of the Abdullah family members, with another release dated April 7 condemning Ghanem's detention. While welcoming AI's April 4 statement condemning the recent crackdown, Zeituneh noted that AI had been unusually hesitant in taking action. Zeituneh told Poloff that in conversations with AI contacts prior to the statement release, she challenged them as to why AI was taking so long to make a statement and if AI had changed its policies on Syria. Zeituneh also noted that press releases from international organizations were especially helpful in protecting local human rights organizations from the SARG and giving them breathing room to work. SECHE