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