Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DAMASCUS4200
2006-08-27 11:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:  

DEFENSE SHOWS LABWANI INTERVIEW ON AL-HURRA IN

Tags:  PHUM PGOV SY 
pdf how-to read a cable
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TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1219
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD PRIORITY 0190
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 004200 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SY
SUBJECT: DEFENSE SHOWS LABWANI INTERVIEW ON AL-HURRA IN
SYRIAN COURT

REF: DAM 3744

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael H. Corbin for reasons 1.4 b/d

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 004200

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SY
SUBJECT: DEFENSE SHOWS LABWANI INTERVIEW ON AL-HURRA IN
SYRIAN COURT

REF: DAM 3744

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael H. Corbin for reasons 1.4 b/d


1. (C) Summary: The defense for jailed Syrian opposition
figure Kamal Labwani showed in court August 23 two televised
interviews with Labwani in which he repeatedly rejected
foreign military intervention in Syria and the imposition of
economic sanctions. A flap occurred at the end of the
session when uniformed security detained Kurdish journalist
Masoud Hamed for using his cell phone to photograph Labwani
leaving the courtroom. After the session, Labwani's wife
pressed Poloff about the possibility of persuading UNSYG Kofi
Annan to seek the release of Syrian political prisoners if,
as reported publicly, Annan visits Syria next week.
Separately, Labwani lawyer Muhanned al-Hasani pulled Poloff
aside to repeat a request from a month ago (reftel)
questioning the willingness of U.S. Deputy National Security
Advisor J.D. Crouch and the former U.S. Ambassador to Syria
to prepare a sworn deposition for Labwani's defense. The
defense will continue presenting its case on September 19.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) The defense for jailed Syrian opposition figure
Kamal Labwani showed on August 23 in criminal court lengthy
interviews that Labwani gave with al-Hurra and al-Mustaquila
in the late fall of 2005. During the interviews, Labwani
stated repeatedly that he and the Damascus Declaration group
opposed foreign military intervention against the Syrian
regime or the imposition of economic sanctions, which would
only further victimize the Syrian public. During the
interviews, Labwani responded to questions about divisions
within the internal Syrian opposition, asserting that the
opposition were united on the need for peaceful, democratic
reform to permit political participation by all segments of
Syrian society. The judge entered the recorded interviews
into Labwani's file as part of the defense.


3. (SBU) Unlike past Labwani court appearances, no other
cases were heard in the courtroom and no other defendants or
their lawyers were present to witness the interviews, played
on a small laptop provided by the defense. About 45 people
attended, including members of the Labwani family and
observers from the U.S., British and Danish diplomatic
missions. A flap occurred at the end of the session when
uniformed security detained Kurdish journalist Masoud Hamed
for using his cell phone to photograph Labwani leaving the
courtroom. (Note: Hamed was released July 23 after serving
three years in prison for publishing a photograph of Kurdish
children demonstrating in front of UNICEF. Hamed was
convicted of affiliation with an unlicensed organization and
working to join Syrian territories to another country.)


4. (C) After the session, Labwani's wife and daughter
pressed Poloff about the possibility of persuading UNSYG Kofi
Annan to seek the release of Syrian political prisoners if,
as reported publicly, Annan visits Syria next week. Sumer
Labwani asserted that the international community must not
forget the plight of her husband and political prisoners,
despite the rush to consult Syria on foreign policy matters.


5. (C) Separately, Labwani lawyer Muhanned al-Hasani pulled
Poloff aside to repeat his inquiry from a month ago (reftel)
about the willingness of U.S. Deputy National Security
Advisor J.D. Crouch and the former U.S. Ambassador to Syria
to prepare a sworn deposition for Labwani's defense,
addressing key SARG allegations that Labwani had called for a
U.S. invasion of Syria, as well as economic pressure on the
country. Hasani said that the depositions would be central
in the next phase of the defense, scheduled for September 19,
when witnesses would be called. He asserted that letters
from members of Congress, with whom Labwani had also met,
would not suffice. (Note: The British Embassy in Syria has
transmitted to the Labwani defense letters from two UK
politicians who met with Labwani in late 2005 just prior to
his trip to the United States. One was from House of Commons
MP Angela Smith, who wrote: "I am writing to confirm that we
discussed the situation in Syria and at no time did he
advocate the use of any kind of force or outside intervention
against Syria." The other was from Councilor Geoff Williams
of the UK's Liberal Democrats, describing how he met Labwani
in the UK in 2005 and traveled with him to the Liberal
Democrats conference in September of the same year where
Labwani met the foreign affairs spokesman for the Liberal

DAMASCUS 00004200 002 OF 002


Democrats. Williams wrote: "Labwani believed peaceful
change was the only way forward for his country.")
CORBIN