Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DAMASCUS2214
2006-05-11 14:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

LABWANI ATTENDS FORMAL HEARING; FAMILY AND LAWYERS

Tags:  PHUM PGOV SY 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1350
OO RUEHAG
DE RUEHDM #2214/01 1311402
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 111402Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8932
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0050
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 002214 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SY
SUBJECT: LABWANI ATTENDS FORMAL HEARING; FAMILY AND LAWYERS
REQUEST USG, EUROPEAN SUPPORT

REF: DAMASCUS 2166

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4(b)/(d
)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 002214

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/11/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SY
SUBJECT: LABWANI ATTENDS FORMAL HEARING; FAMILY AND LAWYERS
REQUEST USG, EUROPEAN SUPPORT

REF: DAMASCUS 2166

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche for reasons 1.4(b)/(d
)


1. (C) SUMMARY: Jailed opposition activist Kamal Labwani
appeared before the presiding judge in his case on May 11 for
an initial hearing, with the opening trial date to be
announced in the upcoming days. Labwani faces charges of
advocating the invasion of Syria by a foreign power and
spreading disinformation, with sentencing ranging from 23
years in prison to the death penalty, should an invasion
occur. Labwani's lawyers are already predicting a guilty
verdict. Labwani's lawyers and family members requested that
the USG make a public statement regarding the general
crackdown on civil society and mention Labwani's case as an
example. Labwani's supporters have yet to develop a coherent
public relations campaign to increase international attention
to the case, a symptom of a greater strategic weakness within
Syrian civil society and the fear of potential SARG reprisals
for speaking out in public. END SUMMARY.



2. (C) Jailed opposition activist Kamal Labwani appeared in
a Damascus criminal court May 11 to face charges by the
Syrian government connected to his visit to Europe and the
U.S. in November 2005. Labwani was formally charged with one
count of urging a foreign government to invade Syria, which
carries a sentence of 20 years to life in prison, with a
death sentence should an invasion indeed take place. He was
also charged with one count of spreading false information,
which carries a sentence of three to five years. The chief
officiating judge subjected Labwani to one and one half hours
of questioning in the presence of his lawyers. Family
members, lawyers representing various human rights
organizations, and Poloff were not allowed to enter the
proceedings. No other diplomatic representatives attended.
The opening trial date is expected to be announced by the
presiding judge within the next several days.


3. (C) Defense lawyers noted that because the trial will be
held in criminal court (vice security court),it should, in
theory, be open to the public and press, but that the SARG

could decide to close the chambers. According to defense team
member Anwar al-Bunni, a panel of three judges will preside
over the case. Noting that one judge, an ethnic Assyrian, is
sympathetic to civil society's cause, Bunni predicted that
the case will result in the judges finding Labwani guilty in
a two-to-one decision, as was the case in the 2001
convictions of Damascus Spring activists Riad Seif and Mamoun
al-Homsi.


4. (C) Both the Labwani family and the defense team urged
the USG to make public statements on the crackdown on Syrian
civil society in general and to include Labwani as one of
several specific examples of political persecution. Defense
lawyers Muhanned al-Hasani and Bunni added that such efforts
should be conducted in tandem with European statements, and
noted that they plan to lobby the Austrian and UK Embassies
to make statements on Labwani's behalf. The Labwani family
also noted that they have been in touch with Labwani's
European contacts who will be lobbying their respective
European Parliament members. In an earlier meeting on May 9,
the Labwani family noted that they had not met with European
embassies since Labwani's arrest in November, but are
considering doing so again. They have also been in contact
with a number of Amnesty International local chapters in
Europe, but not with its international headquarters. Now that
the trial is set to begin in earnest, the Labwani family
requested USG help in mobilizing international and regional
media coverage of the event, asserting that USG
representatives had promised Labwani help during his October
2005 visit to the U.S. However, the Labwani family is leery
of making too many public statements themselves, fearing
reprisals from security forces.


5. (C) COMMENT: While defense lawyers only had about 12
hours notice of Labwani's hearing, the sparse attendance by
civil society activists and diplomatic community (Poloff was
the only diplomat in attendance) indicate that Labwani's case
continues to receive less attention and support than the
cases of other activists facing prosecution like those of
Haithem al-Maleh and Hassan Abdulazeem. Similarly, while ad
hoc measures like single interviews by activists and
attorneys take place or occasional Arabic language press
releases continue to appear, it seems that neither local
human rights organizations nor the Labwani family have
developed a strong, coherent public relations strategy to

DAMASCUS 00002214 002 OF 002


engage international interest in this potential death penalty
case. This missing strategy further demonstrates the
relative weakness of Syrian civil society and its lack of
organizational savvy, as well as a genuine fear of reprisal
from SARG authorities for pushing too hard publicly. END
COMMENT.
SECHE