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| The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights |
The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies |
The Center for Prisoners' Aid |
The Association for Democratic Development |
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A victory for human rights
The Syrian Emergency Court releases Aktham Naissa
17/8/2004
The signatory organizations to this press release welcome the Syrian Emergency Court's decision to release on bail Aktham Naissa, a prominent Syrian lawyer, reform activist and the head of the Committees for the Defence of Human Rights in Syria.
Naissa's continuous detention had raised serious concerns about his deteriorating health, particularly after he staged a hunger strike in protest at his unfair trial before an exceptional court on various charges for which he was given a 15 year prison sentence.
The signatory organizations to this press release call for the Syrian Government to:
1. Drop all charges raised against Naissa and stop legal procedures against him.
The case against him is based on exceptional legislation which criminalizes freedom of opinion and expression and condemns citizens' right to peaceful assembly and protest.
The signatories also demand that Naissa be cleared unconditionally.
2. Take immediate measures to guarantee the unconditioned release of all prisoners and detainees who are detained for their opinions and for exercising their right to peaceful expression and exchange of information.
At the head of this list of detainees is Dr Aref Dalila, the famous economist, Parliament members Maamoon el Hamdy, Reiad Saif and Habib Esa, a lawyer and the spokesman for the Gamal el Atasy Forum.
Other detainees include Fawaz Tellu, Dr. Walid el Bunny and the writer Habib el Saleh.
Naissa's trial, which began on the 18th of July, attracted international attention, both Arab and international organizations expressing full solidarity with Naissa.
Among those who participated in monitoring Naissa's trial as representatives of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and the Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) were Negad el Boraii, head of Association for Democratic Development, Hafez Abu Seada, Secretary General of the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights and Mohamed Zarea, Director of the Human Rights Center for the Assistance of Prisoners.
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