Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08DAMASCUS860
2008-12-02 10:14:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Damascus
Cable title:
CYBER-DISSIDENT TRIAL WILL CONTINUE; EUROPEANS
how-toVZCZCXRO3785 PP RUEHAG RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHKUK RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHDM #0860 3371014 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 021014Z DEC 08 ZDK FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5650 INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0485 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000860
SIPDIS
LONDON FOR WALLER, PARIS FOR TSOU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SY
SUBJECT: CYBER-DISSIDENT TRIAL WILL CONTINUE; EUROPEANS
DEBATE FUTURE LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION AT POLITICAL TRIALS
REF: A. 2001 DAMASCUS 03245
B. 2002 DAMASCUS 03302
C. 2005 DAMASCUS 01220
Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000860
SIPDIS
LONDON FOR WALLER, PARIS FOR TSOU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SY
SUBJECT: CYBER-DISSIDENT TRIAL WILL CONTINUE; EUROPEANS
DEBATE FUTURE LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION AT POLITICAL TRIALS
REF: A. 2001 DAMASCUS 03245
B. 2002 DAMASCUS 03302
C. 2005 DAMASCUS 01220
Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Web journalist Habib Saleh, arrested on May 6, faced
the Second Criminal Court in Damascus on December 1 to answer
for articles posted on the internet deemed threateningly
critical of the state. The judge in the case prevented the
public from attending what was supposed to be an open trial.
Only Saleh's lawyers, Khalil Matouk and Jihan Amin, were
permitted entrance. According to the lawyers, the court took
no specific action on the case, but scheduled a new hearing
for January 20, 2009. Saleh's wife, who was present at the
courthouse, told us that Saleh is in "good health" and is
more comfortable than when he first arrived at Adra prison,
where he is currently being held. She stated that Saleh's
initial cellmates were extremely hardened criminals who were
generally intimidating and who reported back to the guards
everything Saleh did and said. Mrs. Saleh said his situation
"is better" now. She also informed us that she and her
family are able to visit Saleh on a weekly basis.
2. (C) Habib Saleh faces criminal charges under articles
285-298, and 374 of the Syrian Penal Code for "weakening
national sentiment" and "inciting civil and sectarian war,"
according to human rights observers. Saleh, who was most
recently arrested on May 6 in his home town of Tartus, has
been the target of SARG retribution for his political
writings twice before. In 2002 he was sentenced to three
years in prison (ref B) for his activities during the
"Damascus Spring" (ref A-C) and was released on September 9,
2004. Police arrested him again on May 29, 2005 for
"spreading mendacious information," according to Reporters
Sans Frontieres, and sentenced him to three years in prison.
He was released on September 12, 2007. For the current
charges against him, Saleh could receive up to 15 years in
prison.
3. (C) International diplomatic presence at the trial was
minimal. The French and Swiss embassies were represented by
interns. The only Embassy officers were from the Netherlands
and Canadian Embassies. One diplomatic contact told us that
among the EU embassies there was "a discussion going on"
about whether they should "scale back" their representation
at political trials. He intimated that diplomatic
representation might be less frequent and at a much lower
level than in the past.
CONNELLY
SIPDIS
LONDON FOR WALLER, PARIS FOR TSOU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/02/2018
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL SY
SUBJECT: CYBER-DISSIDENT TRIAL WILL CONTINUE; EUROPEANS
DEBATE FUTURE LEVEL OF REPRESENTATION AT POLITICAL TRIALS
REF: A. 2001 DAMASCUS 03245
B. 2002 DAMASCUS 03302
C. 2005 DAMASCUS 01220
Classified By: CDA Maura Connelly for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).
1. (C) Web journalist Habib Saleh, arrested on May 6, faced
the Second Criminal Court in Damascus on December 1 to answer
for articles posted on the internet deemed threateningly
critical of the state. The judge in the case prevented the
public from attending what was supposed to be an open trial.
Only Saleh's lawyers, Khalil Matouk and Jihan Amin, were
permitted entrance. According to the lawyers, the court took
no specific action on the case, but scheduled a new hearing
for January 20, 2009. Saleh's wife, who was present at the
courthouse, told us that Saleh is in "good health" and is
more comfortable than when he first arrived at Adra prison,
where he is currently being held. She stated that Saleh's
initial cellmates were extremely hardened criminals who were
generally intimidating and who reported back to the guards
everything Saleh did and said. Mrs. Saleh said his situation
"is better" now. She also informed us that she and her
family are able to visit Saleh on a weekly basis.
2. (C) Habib Saleh faces criminal charges under articles
285-298, and 374 of the Syrian Penal Code for "weakening
national sentiment" and "inciting civil and sectarian war,"
according to human rights observers. Saleh, who was most
recently arrested on May 6 in his home town of Tartus, has
been the target of SARG retribution for his political
writings twice before. In 2002 he was sentenced to three
years in prison (ref B) for his activities during the
"Damascus Spring" (ref A-C) and was released on September 9,
2004. Police arrested him again on May 29, 2005 for
"spreading mendacious information," according to Reporters
Sans Frontieres, and sentenced him to three years in prison.
He was released on September 12, 2007. For the current
charges against him, Saleh could receive up to 15 years in
prison.
3. (C) International diplomatic presence at the trial was
minimal. The French and Swiss embassies were represented by
interns. The only Embassy officers were from the Netherlands
and Canadian Embassies. One diplomatic contact told us that
among the EU embassies there was "a discussion going on"
about whether they should "scale back" their representation
at political trials. He intimated that diplomatic
representation might be less frequent and at a much lower
level than in the past.
CONNELLY