DEFENSE SHOWS LABWANI INTERVIEW ON AL-HURRA IN

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