JAILED SYRIAN ACTIVIST LABWANI CALLS FOR MORE

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 004845 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR WALLER, LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2016 TAGS: PGOV PHUM SY SUBJECT: JAILED SYRIAN ACTIVIST LABWANI CALLS FOR MORE PRESSURE ON THE SARG Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Michael H. Corbin for reasons 1.4 b/d ¶1. (C) On October 3, Poloff met with the wife of detained political activist Kamal Labwani, the couple's daughter, and a Labwani cousin. Mrs. Labwani had visited her husband in prisoner earlier that day. She said he was in good spirits and health, however, as in the past, the couple was not able to speak privately. Labwani handed her a lengthy, hand-written, Arabic-language document outlining his defense. Labwani believed that the government was trying him on political grounds, despite that the trial is taking place in criminal court, Mrs. Labwani said. For instance, Kamal Labwani's handwritten document notes in its conclusion questioning by security officials last fall, including queries about what he told U.S. officials about the UNIIIC investigation in the assassination of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. Security officials hit Labwani after he said he hadn't discussed the investigation with U.S. officials, telling him, "This is a message to your friends. Don't you know American and Europe are our worst enemies?" Given this, Labwani insists that his defense also be political and that all possible pressure be placed on the Syrian government, according to Mrs. Labwani. ¶2. (C) Part of Labwani's legal team continues to argue about the best approach for the defense. The current lead lawyer, Muhanned al-Hasani, remains focused on gathering materials for a legally-based defense, including the possibility of depositions or letter from U.S. officials who met Labwani. Such letters or depositions could merely state that Labwani never called for foreign military or economic pressure on Syria, Hasani told Poloff October 2. However, another member of Labwani's defense team, Faisal Badr, who belongs to the Kurdish Yekiti party, rejects Hasani's approach as not useful and unrealistic. Badr would prefer a defense that applies maximum political pressure on the SARG, adding he would also draw out the trial until the political climate became more favorable to Labwani's case, given the intense political pressure on the opposition. ¶3. (C) Mrs. Labwani said that while her husband supported Badr's politicized approach, she worried about her husband's case being led by or too closely associated with Kurdish figures, who are compromised in the eyes of the Syrian public as unwavering U.S. allies and because of long-standing anti-Kurdish sentiment among much of the Syrian public. Although Mrs. Labwani was also worried about the effect of public USG mention of Labwani,s case, she said that Kamal Labwani would welcome more international pressure on the SARG, including a statement. ¶4. (C) Comment: Given Labwani's conviction that his trial is political and that any defense must also be political, Post sees a trend away from consideration of providing sworn depositions by USG officials. At the same time, Post would support a public statement mentioning Labwani's case in the much broader context of the inhospitable climate for civil society and human rights activists here. Post will provide suggested points septel for such a statement. CORBIN