Shril

Bloodshed in Bab Qebli: portrait from Syrias violent crackdown on Hama

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:30:00 -0400

2 August 2011

Shortly after breakfast, Khaled al-Hamedh left his home to buy medicine for his four-year-old brother, who had a fever.

He never came home.

Several hours later, family members laid him to rest in the garden of nearby al-Serjawi mosque, a bullet wound in his back and his body crushed by a tank.

UN SECURITY COUNCIL MUST TAKE ACTION OVER SYRIA BLOODSHED

Tue, 02 Aug 2011 23:20:00 -0400

1 August 2011
The UN Security Council must urgently respond to the ongoing crackdown in Syria by referring the situation to the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International said today, amid reports that security forces continued to shell the city of Hama, where dozens of people have now been killed.

Syria: Arrest and detention of three protest leaders Messrs Al Sahyoni

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 14:00:00 -0400

22 July 2011

Since the beginning of the protests in Syria, thousands of arbitrary arrests, disappearances and human rights abuses have been, and continue to be, committed by the authorities with total impunity. Human rights activists and campaigners have in particular been targeted by the security forces.

TORTURE FEARS FOR DETAINED SYRIAN MAN

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:50:00 -0400

Awad Jassim Abbas has been held incommunicado since his arrest on 14 May. Reports suggest he has been tortured or otherwise ill-treated by Syrian security forces.
Awad Abbas was arrested at his home in al-Dumayr, north-east of the capital Damascus, during a raid by a reportedly large number of armed members of Syrian Air Force Security. The security forces were searching for his brother Hussein Jassim Abbas, who had gone into hiding due to fears of being arrested because of his peaceful activities during the current protests calling for political reform. Awad Abbas also attended pro-reform protests, and Amnesty International believes his arrest and subsequent detention may be in connection with this.

Veteran activist's demands reflect new Syria

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:30:00 -0400

26 July 2011

Two months ago, when prominent Syrian human rights lawyer Anwar al-Bunni finally stepped onto the streets of Damascus after completing a five year jail sentence, he walked out into a changed world.

On a personal level, the nightmare of his prison existence- a prisoner of conscience surrounded by convicted criminals and living in fear of attack by both inmates and guards - was finally over. But, more broadly, the popular protests that had erupted two months earlier meant that Syria itself had been transformed. He and other human rights defenders no longer felt alone.

Syria Risk of torture and extrajudicial killing of a know Syrian author

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:30:00 -0400

22 July 2011

Dr Mohamed Jamal Al Tahhan (محمد جمال الطحان) is aged 54 years and married with four children. He usually lives with his family in Al Miridyan region, Aleppo. He is a member at the Arab Writers' Union as well as the Federation of Arab Journalists. Mr Al Tahhan holds a PhD in philosophy and is the author of many books such as Makers of civilization.

Syria - Enforced disappearance of Mr Mohammad Al-Ashtar since 13 May 2011

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 17:30:00 -0400

22 July 2011

Mr Mohammad Al-Ashtar (محمد الأشتر ) is aged 38 years and works as a bricklayer. He is married with seven children and usually lives with his family in Al Mazare' region, Al Rastan, Homs, Syria.

Syria - enforced disappearance of Syrian young activist since 14 May 2011

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:30:00 -0400

18 July 2011

Mr Anas Al Shugri ((أنس الشغري is aged 22 years, from Al-Bayda village in Banyas, and a third-year university student in economics. Mr Al Shugri was arrested on 14 May 2011 and there has been no news of him since. The Syrian authorities deny Mr Al Shugri's arrest and detention and therefore Alkarama submitted Mr Al Shugri's case to the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on 15 July 2011.

AI: Travel ban on veteran Syrian campaigner lifted

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:40:00 -0400

18 July 2011

Veteran Syrian human rights campaigner Haytham al-Maleh has become accustomed to receiving bad news from the Damascus authorities.

Since 1980, the 79 year-old lawyers work as a rights defender has earned him two stretches in jail, in 1980-1986 and 2009-2011, while harassment from the authorities helped force the closure of the Human Rights Association of Syria which he headed.

AI: ACTIVIST DETAINED, RISKS TORTURE

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 04:50:00 -0400

Syrian political activist George Sabra has been detained incommunicado at an unknown location since 20 July as part of mass arrests by the Syrian army and security forces in the town of Qatana, south-west of the capital, Damascus. He is at serious risk of torture and other ill-treatment.