SYRIAN COURT RENDERS SURPRISE LIGHT SENTENCE IN

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000005

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR JORDAN; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/30/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SY IS
SUBJECT: SYRIAN COURT RENDERS SURPRISE LIGHT SENTENCE IN
DISSIDENT TRIAL

REF: DAMASCUS 0002

Classified By: CDA Todd Holmstrom for reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (SBU) Summary. In a surprise move, the Damascus Criminal
Court handed down a relatively light sentence against
prominent dissident Fa,ik al-Meir on December 31. Al-Meir,
who was facing capital charges, could be released as early as
next month. The decision appeared to catch most human rights
observers in Syria by surprise. Nearly all of them, however,
suspected the sentence may be connected to Syria,s recent
dealings with western powers, including the U.S. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On December 31,the Damascus Criminal Court convicted
and sentenced to 18 months Fa,ik al-Meir, a member of the
secretariat of Riad al-Turk,s People,s Democratic Party,

SIPDIS
for expressing condolences by telephone to Elias Atallah of
Lebanon,s March 14 Movement after the November 21, 2006
assassination of Pierre Gemayel. However, with time served
plus a stipulation in Syrian law which makes convicted
criminals eligible to have a quarter of their sentences
cancelled, al-Meir could be out of prison as early as next
month.


3. (SBU) Al-Meir was initially detained on December 13, 2006
in Lattakia. On January 23, 2007, the state charged al-Meir
with &conspiring with a foreign country to attack Syria.8
More specifically, al-Meir was charged with contacting the
Lebanon March 14 movement, which the court labeled pro-
&American and Zionist.8 Ultimately, however, al-Meir was
only convicted for the crime of &weakening the national
feeling during a time of war.8


4. (C) One reason the case has dragged on nearly 13 months is
that defense lawyers appealed to the Syrian Supreme Court for
two of the associate judges to be removed from the case. In
mid-December, the Supreme Court refused the petition and
defense lawyers decided not to press the issue further
because they felt international developments were conducive
for a favorable verdict, according to defense lawyer Khalil
Matook.


5. (C)The light sentence was clearly unexpected by many of
the human rights observers and civil society activists, who
were noticeably pleased. According to Damascus Declaration
member Fawaz al-Tello, the regime decided for a lighter
sentence because it is trying to build better relations with
western powers in order to improve its regional position.
Defense lawyer Hicham Noufal speculated that the moderate
sentence may be connected to the recently concluded U.S.
Congressional visit (reftel). On the other hand, defense
lawyer Sirin Khoury opined that the relative leniency
reflected the regime,s sense that it was no longer
threatened by internal opponents, the most active of whom are
now in prison or otherwise silenced. Damascus Declaration
leader Riad Seif, though clearly pleased, remarked that the
verdict was &half of a catastrophe,8 meaning that a man was
still sentenced to 18 months for making a phone call.


6. (C) Al-Meir himself appeared to be pleasantly surprised by
the verdict. He previously spent ten years in prison until
being released in 1999. In addition to al-Meir,s wife,
other noteworthy dissidents at the trial were Riad Seif and
fellow Damascus Declaration notables Riad al-Turk and Hassan
Abdul-Azim, who is also leader of the Nasserite Arab
Socialist Union. Also in attendance were diplomats from the
Swedish embassy.


7. (C) Comment: One relatively lenient sentence does not make
a trend ) especially against the backdrop of a nearly
two-year-long crackdown on all regime opposition. Yet, the
timing of the verdict is potentially notable, coming on the
heels of President Asad,s still-unfulfilled commitment to
CODEL Specter to release seven opposition activists detained
for their association with the newly created National
Council. We doubt al-Meir,s sentence signals a change in
SARG treatment of human rights/opposition activists but
international public scrutiny of Syria,s human rights record
seems to have put the regime on the defensive.
HOLMSTROM