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