SYRIAN GOVERNMENT DETAINEES OPPOSITION LEADER RIAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000066

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PARIS FOR JORDAN; LONDON FOR TSOU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2018
TAGS: KDEM PHUM PGOV SY PREL
SUBJECT: SYRIAN GOVERNMENT DETAINEES OPPOSITION LEADER RIAD
SEIF

REF: DAMASCUS 0061

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


1. (C) Summary: On the evening of January 28, Syrian
authorities detained Riad Seif, Damascus Declaration National
Council head and former imprisoned MP. He was arraigned
January 29 and is currently in Adraa Prison along with the
other 10 National Council detainees. End Summary.


2. (C) At approximately 7:00 PM on January 28, Damascus
Declaration National Council Secretariat President, former
MP, and political prisoner Riad Seif was unexpectedly
detained by the Syrian criminal police after an arrest order
issued by the General Prosecutor for Damascus, according to
Seif's lawyer, Khalil Matook. On January 29, Seif stood
before the investigative judge at the Damascus Criminal
Court, where the judge charged Seif with the same set of
politically motivated accusations as the other ten National
Council detainees (reftel). Matook characterized Seif's
responses to the judge's question as resolute and
unflinching, at one point making light of his association
with the U.S. Embassy.


3. (C) Seif, who is in critical need of overseas treatment
for prostate cancer, was then taken to Adraa prison, which is
where the other 10 detainees were taken yesterday. Prominent
human rights lawyer, and former president and current board
member, of the Human Rights Association of Syria (HRAS)
Haithem al-Maleh said he expected Seif, as well as the other
National Council detainees, to receive approximately five
years in prison. Maleh, who represented Seif on previous
occasions, admitted that there are many variables in the
regime,s calculus and the fate of the detainees is yet to be
decided.


4. (C) According to Seif,s daughter, Jumana, 24-hour
security service surveillance of Seif,s movements began five
days ago. One diplomatic contact with four-plus years in
Damascus suggested that the coincidence of the arraignment of
the ten NC members with Seif,s arrest on the same day
indicates that the moves were planned in advance and executed
with approval from the top. It also conveys SARG confidence
that it can withstand international criticism of these acts,
he commented. While Seif,s fate still remains uncertain,
diplomatic contacts today were betting that Seif and the
other 10 National Council members could be in jail for the
next five years.


5. (C) According to an EU source, the Germans were working
on a statement by Foreign Minister Steinmeier to condemn
Seif's arrest, and last week the French had circulated a
proposed demarche and public statement through the Slovenian
MFA for circulation to other EU capitals. The French were
now attempting to update the demarche to take account of the
arraignment of the 10 National Council members and the
detention of Riad Seif.


6. (C) One theory in circulation is that Seif's arrest may
have been a direct SARG warning to the EU. Seif, whose wife
is a German citizen, has always had close relations with
European embassies and their visiting delegations. According
to this theory, the regime may be using Seif as a card it can
deal in order to blunt European criticism of its human rights
record and policies in Lebanon, such as the sharp comments
from Dutch Foreign Minister Verhagen after his January 23
visit to Damascus.


7. (C) That said, SARG authorities appear to be focusing on
Seif's ties to the U.S. According to his lawyer, all ten
National Council members arraigned on January 28 were forced
to sign a declaration that they knew of Seif's and Riad
Turk's relations with the United States and that they were
working to change the Syrian regime.
HOLMSTROM