Severe Sentences against Four Political Activists

Severe Sentences against Four Political Activists

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) has condemned the sentence issued by the repressive State Supreme Security Court  SSSC today (23/1/2011) against citizens Abbas Abbas (7.5 years in prison), Ahmed al-Nihawi, Tawfeeq Imran, and Ghassan Hasan (4 years in prison).

The citizens were arrested by the security Intelligence authorities on 21/5/2009, and were imprisoned in solitude away from the world due to their affiliation of the Labour communist party. Most importantly, all of them with the exception of Ghassan Hasan are previous political detainees and were imprisoned for several years.

SHRC considers these severe sentences issued by a non-constitutional court as a new chapter of  harshness against Syrian citizens and contradictory to the articles of the Syrian constitution which guarantee freedom of peaceful expression and thought, as well as the International Convention of Human Rights and similar international agreements. SHRC calls for the release of those sentenced immediately. No individual should be condemned or imprisoned without having committed a crime, and without an accusation and evidence, which the SSSC has not provided or confirmed.

 Syrian Human Rights Committee

23/1/2011