Six Citizens Sentenced on Accusation Of Muslim Brotherhood Affiliation

The Exceptional Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) issued harsh sentences on six Islamic detainees after being charged with attempting to become members of the Muslim Brotherhood Movement, pursuant to Article 49/1980 which condemns to death mere membership to the said movement.


The sentences were then reduced according the following:


Mr. Sami s/o Ali Derback, born on 31/3/1964 in Banias, arrested on 1/1/2003 was sentenced to an Eight year imprisonment term with hard labour.


The other five detainees were sentenced to six year imprisonment term with hard labour. They are:


Khalid s/o Ahmad Ahmed, born on 1/2/1961, Latakia province, arrested on 2/10/2003


Tariq s/o Abdullah Hallaq, born on 19/2/1977, Banias, arrested on 2/10/2003


 Ali s/o Mohammed Ismaeel, born on 11/3/1972, Banias, arrested on 2/10/2003


Abdulnaser s/o Taha Derback, born on 19/2/1977, Banias, arrested on 4/10/2003


 Jamal s/o Jameel Jalloul, born on 26/2/1958, Banias, arrested on 2/10/2003


The Syrian Human Rights Committee asked an informed and responsible leading figure in the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Movement about the verdicts, who confirmed that the above mentioned citizens are not members of SMB. He also commented that the movement does not establish any connection with Syrian citizens inside Syria as long as Article 49/1980 is in force in order not to leave any reason for the Syrian authorities to arrest them.


SHRC considers these verdicts unfair and baseless. It also remarks that the Syrian authorities is continuing to target Islamists, religiously committed citizens, defenders of freedoms of expression and human rights, criminalizing them with hollow accusations and sentencing them to the severest of sentences. SHRC calls upon the Syrian president Bashar al-Asad to repeal the aforementioned sentences, to order the release of the detainees, to terminate all sorts of arbitrary arrests and to cancel the unjust and unconstitutional Article 49/1980 which collides with the simplest human rules of respecting the freedom of opinion, creed and political activity.


 Syrian Human Rights Committee