LABWANI HELD IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT SINCE LAST

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000319 SIPDIS SIPDIS PARIS FOR WALLER; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM SY SUBJECT: LABWANI HELD IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT SINCE LAST COURT APPEARANCE REF: DAMASCUS 0307 CLASSIFIED BY: CDA MICHAEL CORBIN, FOR REASONS 1.4 B/D. ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. DETAINED POLITICAL REFORMER KAMAL LABWANI HAS BEEN HELD IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AT ADRA,A PRISON SINCE HIS LAST COURT APPEARANCE WHEN HE READ A STATEMENT HIGHLY CRITICAL OF THE REGIME. HIS SOLITARY CONFINEMENT CONTINUED UNTIL AT LEAST MARCH 27, WHICH IS THE DATE OF THE LAST FAMILY VISIT. LIKEWISE HIS FAMILY AND LAWYER HAVE COME UNDER INCREASED PRESSURE FROM THE REGIME. DUE TO KAMALS CURRENT, PRECARIOUS SITUATION, THE LABWANI FAMILY HAS SAID IT SUPPORTS USG STATEMENTS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE PLIGHT OF POLITICAL DETAINEES IN GENERAL. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) ON MARCH 28, LABWANI FAMILY MEMBERS TOLD POLOFF THAT LABWANI,S POLITICALLY CHARGED SPEECH THAT HEAVILY CRITICIZED THE SYRIAN REGIME AT HIS LAST COURT APPEARANCE (REFTEL) HAD LED TO LABWANI BEING PLACED IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT AT ADRA'A PRISON. ACCORDING TO A FAMILY MEMBER, LABWANI,S ABILITY TO COVERTLY CARRY A SECOND SPEECH INTO THE COURT WAS ALSO A MAJOR FACTOR BEHIND HIS SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. (NOTE: WHEN LABWANI FIRST ENTERED THE CRIMINAL COURT SECURITY GUARDS SEIZED A COPY OF THE SPEECH, BUT LABWANI WAS STILL ABLE TO DELIVER THE SPEECH BECAUSE HE HAD A SECOND COPY HIDDEN INSIDE HIS PRISON UNIFORM. AS THE INCENDIARY NATURE OF THE SPEECH QUICKLY BECAME APPARENT, THE JUDGE SWITCHED OFF HIS OWN MICROPHONE AND CLEARED MOST OF THE COURTROOM. DESPITE THE LIMITED AUDIENCE, THE SPEECH SEEMS TO HAVE DEEPLY AGGRAVATED THE REGIME. END NOTE.) ¶3. (C) LABWANI'S FAMILY AND LAWYERS HAVE ALSO BEEN PUT UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE SYRIAN SECURITY SERVICES AS A RESULT OF THE SPEECH. SAMER LABWANI, KAMAL'S WIFE, TOLD POLOFF THAT SHE WAS TOLD VIA A TEXT MESSAGE FROM AN UNIDENTIFIED SYRIAN SECURITY AGENT THAT SHE WOULD LOSE HER JOB IF SHE CONTINUED TO HAVE CONTACT WITH THE AMERICAN EMBASSY. MUHANAD AL-HASANI, DEFENSE LAWYER FOR KAMAL LABWANI AND HEAD OF THE SYRIAN ORGANIZATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, WAS CALLED IN FOR QUESTIONING BY THE SECURITY SERVICES THE NIGHT OF MARCH 19 AFTER HIS STRONGLY WORDED DEFENSE OF LABWANI IN COURT EARLIER THAT DAY, LABWANI,S FAMILY SAID. HASANI WAS TOLD THAT HE TOO WOULD JOIN HIS CLIENT IN PRISON IF HE CONTINUED WITH HIS VIGOROUS DEFENSE OF POLITICAL DISSIDENTS BECAUSE WESTERN GOVERNMENTS NO LONGER CARED ABOUT THE INTERNAL SITUATION IN SYRIA, ACCORDING TO LABWANI,S FAMILY. ¶4. (C) WHILE WE ARE UNAWARE OF LABWANI'S CURRENT PRISON CONDITIONS, HIS WIFE SAID HE TOLD HER HE HAS BEEN HELD IN AN UNDERGROUND CELL AND GIVEN ONLY BREAD AND WATER RATIONS SINCE HIS LAST COURT APPEARANCE ON MARCH 19. HIS SOLITARY CONFINEMENT CONTINUED UNTIL AT LEAST MARCH 27, WHICH IS THE DATE OF THE LAST FAMILY VISIT. ACCORDING TO FAMILY MEMBERS, LABWANI APPEARED TIRED AND PALE DURING A BRIEF PRISON VISIT THEY MADE MARCH 27. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: THE SARG APPEARS INCREASINGLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR OF ITS POLITICAL PRISONERS CURRENTLY ON TRIAL IN THE RUN-UP TO THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS. THE PUNISHMENT APPARENTLY METED OUT TO LABWANI AFTER HIS COURT STATEMENT MAY REFLECT THE SARG'S INTENTION TO SEND A STRONG MESSAGE ON APRIL 10 WHEN LABWANI IS SENTENCED. CORBIN