The Syrian Human Rights Committee – MAD – reports that the Supreme State Security Court in Damascus at its session held on Sunday 8 November 2009, sentenced four Kurds each to six years in prison on the basis of article 267 of the Syrian Penal Code. They were convicted of belonging to the Democratic Union Party.
In case number 157 of 2009:
- Nasser Ahmed Mohammed, born 1987 in the Jawadia area. He is a second year student at the Institute of Medical Radiology. He was arrested on 6 August 2008 by Political Security in Damascus.
- Raed Fawaz Ali, born in Derbasieh was arrested on 19 July 2008.
At the same session on 8 November 2009, in case number 179 of 2009:
- Saud Sheikhmous Ibrahim was arrested on 25 January 2009.
- Abdul Rahman Mustafa Mohamed, born 1974 in Afrin, was arrested on 26 November 2008.
Trials in this court are not fair – there are no Article 6 rights (European Convention on Human Rights – right to a fair trial) in Syria – defendants are not properly able to put their case, false confessions are extracted under torture, judgements are made under the State of Emergency that has existed since 1963, and sentencing is very harsh.
International Support Kurds in Syria Association –SKS – asks the international community to examine the practices of the Supreme State Security Court and to bring these injustices to the attention of the Syrian Government before any other discussions take place.
9 November 2009
