VERDICTS EXPECTED SOON IN KEY SYRIAN POLITICAL

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000307 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/24/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SY SUBJECT: VERDICTS EXPECTED SOON IN KEY SYRIAN POLITICAL TRIALS REF: DAMASCUS 00254 CLASSIFIED BY: CDA MICHAEL CORBIN, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D. ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: ON APRIL 10, THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT IS EXPECTED TO DECIDE THE FATE OF JAILED POLITICAL REFORMER KAMAL LABWANI, NOW THAT HIS DEFENSE TEAM CONCLUDED THEIR DEFENSE. MEANWHILE, THE DEFENSE OF IMPRISONED HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER ANWAR AL-BUNNI IS ALSO EXPECTED TO CONCLUDE THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL, WITH A VERDICT LIKELY SOON AFTERWARDS. NEARLY EVERYONE WE HAVE SPOKEN TO IN THE OPPOSITION HAS NOTED THE CONSIDERABLE SPEED-UP IN BOTH POLITICAL TRIALS, ALTHOUGH THERE IS DEBATE OVER THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE REGIME IS MANIPULATING THE TIMING OF BOTH TRIALS. GIVEN THESE IMPENDING VERDICTS, POST SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF A USG STATEMENT TO BE ISSUED MARCH 29 , AS AN EXPRESSION OF SOLIDARITY WITH SYRIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS. THE STATEMENT SHOULD CONDEMN THESE POLITICAL SHOW TRIALS OF BUNNI AND LABWANI AND CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF ALL PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IN SYRIA. WE ARE CHECKING WITH THE TWO FAMILIES TO GAUGE THEIR REACTIONS TO SUCH A STATEMENT. FOR SUGGESTED POINTS FOR THE STATEMENT, SEE PARA. 5. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) A VERDICT IS EXPECTED APRIL 10 IN THE TRIAL OF IMPRISONED POLITICAL ACTIVIST AND REFORMER KAMAL LABWANI AFTER HIS DEFENSE LAWYER, MUHANAD AL-HASANI, CONCLUDED HIS ARGUMENT BEFORE THE PRESIDING JUDGE MARCH 19. PRIOR TO ALLOWING LABWANI TO READ A STATEMENT IN FRONT OF THE COURT, THE JUDGE CLEARED MOST OF THE OTHER PRISONERS AND SPECTATORS FROM THE COURTROOM, TO THE APPARENT CHAGRIN OF LABWANI, WHO WANTED HIS POLITICAL STATEMENT TO BE HEARD BY A LARGER AUDIENCE. THE PRESIDING JUDGE, WHO WAS APPARENTLY UNCOMFORTABLE AT THE POLITICAL TONE OF THE SPEECH, WENT SO FAR AS TO COVER THE ONE MICROPHONE, THEN TURN IT OFF AND, FINALLY PLACE IT UNDER THE JUDGE,S BENCH. IN ANOTHER INSTANCE, WHEN LABWANI DIRECTLY CRITICIZED PRESIDENT ASAD, THE JUDGE ASKED FOR THE PRINTED VERSION OF THE SPEECH, TOOK OUT HIS PEN AND CROSSED OUT THE OFFENDING PASSAGE. (NOTE: THE WRITTEN STATEMENT IS THEORETICALLY SUBMITTED INTO EVIDENCE AND THEREFORE BECOMES PART OF THE OFFICIAL RECORD OF THE TRIAL. END NOTE.) FOLLOWING LABWANI,S STATEMENT, DEFENSE ATTORNEY HASANI FOCUSED HIS DEFENSE AROUND A TECHNICAL EXAMINATION OF ARTICLE 264 OF THE SYRIAN PENAL CODE, A PROVISION WHICH CALLS FOR PUNISHMENT BY DEATH FOR ANYONE WHO "INCITES A FOREIGN POWER TO TAKE HOSTILE ACTION AGAINST SYRIA." ¶3. (SBU) MANY HIGH-PROFILE POLITICAL ACTIVISTS ATTENDED THE TRIAL, INCLUDING FORMER MP AND POLITICAL PRISONER RIAD SEIF, RECENTLY RELEASED POET AND OPPOSITION FIGURE MAHMOUD SAREM AND SUHEIR ATASSI, HEAD OF THE BANNED ATASSI FORUM FOR DEMOCRATIC DIALOGUE. THERE WERE ALSO DIPLOMATS FROM THE EMBASSIES OF GERMANY, DENMARK, SWEDEN, NORWAY AND ROMANIA, AS WELL AS POLOFF. OVERALL, LABWANI APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD SPIRITS AS HE WAVED TO SUPPORTERS, BUT HE SEEMED TO BE MORE GAUNT THAN IN HIS FEBRUARY APPEARANCE. ¶4. (SBU) SEPARATELY ON MARCH 20, THE TRIAL OF JAILED HUMAN RIGHTS LAWYER AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACTIVIST ANWAR AL-BUNNI CONTINUED. DEFENSE LAWYER KHALIL MATOOK AND BUNNI INFORMED THE JUDGE THAT THEY WERE DROPPING THEIR REQUEST FOR THE PARENTS OF DECEASED DETAINEE MUHAMMED SHAHER HAYSA TO APPEAR AS WITNESSES (REFTEL) STATING THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO CAUSE THE PARENTS OF THE DECEASED HAYSA ANY MORE GRIEF. (NOTE: HAYSA DIED IN GOVERNMENT CUSTODY IN APRIL 2006. THERE WAS SOME EVIDENCE OF TORTURE AND BUNNI TOLD A WESTERN MEDIA ORGANIZATION THAT HAYSA WAS TORTURED BY THE SYRIAN SECURITY SERVICES BEFORE HIS DEATH. APPARENTLY IN RETALIATION FOR HIS STATEMENT ON HAYSA, BUNNI WAS CHARGED WITH, "SPREADING FALSE INFORMATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO WEAKEN THE NATION." END NOTE.) THE JUDGE GRANTED THE DEFENSE TEAM,S REQUEST AND ORDERED THE TRIAL TO RESUME APRIL 3, AT WHICH TIME THE DEFENSE WILL SUMMARIZE THEIR CASE. FOLLOWING THE MARCH 20 SESSION, THE JUDGE ALLOWED BUNNI,S WIFE, MOTHER AND CHILDREN TO TALK WITH BUNNI. ALSO IN ATTENDANCE WERE SEIF, ATASSI, AND DIPLOMATS FROM AUSTRIA, GERMANY, DENMARK, SWEDEN, AND THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION. ¶5. (C) GIVEN THESE IMPENDING VERDICTS, POST SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF A USG STATEMENT TO BE ISSUED MARCH 29 , AS AN EXPRESSION OF SOLIDARITY WITH SYRIAN POLITICAL PRISONERS. THE STATEMENT SHOULD CONDEMN THESE POLITICAL SHOW TRIALS OF BUNNI AND LABWANI AND CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF ALL PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IN SYRIA. WE ARE CHECKING WITH THE TWO FAMILIES TO GAUGE THEIR REACTIONS TO SUCH A STATEMENT. IF THE VERDICTS COME DOWN IN APRIL AS ANTICIPATED, POST RECOMMENDS A FOLLOW-UP USG STATEMENT CONDEMNING THE VERDICTS AND REITERATING THE CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF ALL SYRIAN PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE. POST SUGGESTS THE FOLLOWING LANGUAGE FOR THE STATEMENT, WHICH REFLECTS THE LANGUAGE OF THE PROPOSED DEPARTMENT STATEMENT TO BE ISSUED MARCH 29 BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN: -- WE ARE DISTURBED BY THE ARBITRARY ARREST AND DETENTION OF POLITICAL PRISONERS, INCLUDING REGISTERED REFUGEES, BY THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT. WE ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED BY THE APPROACHING VERDICTS OF POLITICAL PRISONERS ANWAR AL-BUNNI AND KAMAL LABWANI, WHO ARE BEING TRIED IN CRIMINAL COURT. WE CONDEMN THESE POLITICAL SHOW TRIALS AS TRAVESTIES OF JUSTICE THAT MAKE A MOCKERY OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS. NEITHER OF THE TRIALS HAS MET BASIC INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, WITH BOTH MEN FACING TRUMPED UP CHARGES AND BOGUS EVIDENCE, WHILE NOT BEING AFFORDED ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEFEND THEMSELVES. -- THESE POLITICAL TRIALS HIGHLIGHT THE TRUE NATURE OF THE SYRIAN REGIME, WHICH ALSO HAS CONSISTENTLY FAILED TO FOLLOW UP ON PROMISES OF POLITICAL REFORM INCLUDING A POLITICAL PARTIES LAW THAT MIGHT HAVE OPENED UP THE APRIL 22-23 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS TO TRUE COMPETITION. SYRIANS DESERVE A GOVERNMENT WHOSE LEGITIMACY IS GROUNDED IN THE CONSENT OF THE PEOPLE, NOT BRUTE FORCE. -- REGARDING OTHER POLITICAL PRISONERS, WE URGE THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT TO IMMEDIATELY AND UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASE ALL PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE, INCLUDING ANWAR AL-BUNNI, KAMAL LABWANI, AREF DALILA, MAHMOUD ISSA, MICHEL KILO, OMAR ABDULLAH AND OTHERS. THE IMPRISONMENT OF THESE AND OTHER SYRIAN PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT,S ONGOING REPRESSION OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE. -- WE FURTHER URGE THE SYRIAN GOVERNMENT TO CEASE ITS INTIMIDATION, DETENTION, AND ABDUCTION OF CIVIL SOCIETY AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS. THE UNITED STATES STANDS WITH THE SYRIAN PEOPLE IN THEIR STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, FREEDOM, AND DEMOCRACY. ¶6. (C) COMMENT: THE LABWANI TRIAL MOVES TO VERDICT ON APRIL 10 AND, IF THAT TRIAL CAN BE USED AS AN INDICATOR, THE BUNNI TRIAL IS LIKELY TO MOVE TO VERDICT A WEEK TO TEN DAYS AFTER THE DEFENSE SUMMARIZES THEIR CASE ON APRIL 3. SOME, SUCH AS DEFENSE LAWYER HASANI, ARE PREDICTING AN ACQUITTAL. SIMILARLY, BUNNI AND HIS LAWYERS HAVE ALSO ARGUED THAT THE FACTS OF HIS CASE DO NOT MATCH THE LAW UNDER WHICH HE IS BEING CHARGED. YET, MOST IN THE OPPOSITION ARE PREDICTING HARSH SENTENCES. ACCORDING TO SOME HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, THE SEVERITY OF THE SENTENCES WILL BE A BAROMETER OF THE REGIME,S PERCEPTION OF ITS SECURITY AND STABILITY BOTH AT HOME AND IN THE REGION. MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION ARE, HOWEVER, SPLIT ROUGHLY DOWN THE MIDDLE ON THE REASONS BEHIND THE SPEED-UP IN THE POLITICAL TRIALS. RIAD SEIF IS OF THE OPINION THAT THE SARG WANTS LABWANI, BUNNI, AND IMPRISONED INTELLECTUAL AND WRITER MICHEL KILO IN PRISON SO THAT THEY CAN OFFER THEM AS BARGAINING CHIPS TO USE WITH THE U.S. AND E.U. IN WHAT THE SARG BELIEVES WILL BE HEIGHTENED DIPLOMATIC RE-ENGAGEMENT IN THE COMING MONTHS. OTHERS BELIEVE THE SARG DOES NOT WANT POTENTIALLY EMBARRASSING DISTRACTIONS DURING ITS POTEMKIN DISPLAY OF DEMOCRACY STARTING WITH NEXT MONTH'S PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. CORBIN