Monday, September 13, 2010

Aleppo: German citizen of Kurdish origin missing for 18 days


September 11, 2010 by sks


The attorney and human rights activist Isma’il ‘Abdi (b. 1960, married, four children) was arrested in Aleppo on August 23 when he and his family tried to leave the country after vacationing in Syria. He was only told that he had to appear before the intelligence service, but was not given any more specific details. Isma’il ‘Abdi, who has lived in Germany since 1997, has not been seen or heard from since the time of his arrest. Thus far neither the foreign office nor ‘Abdi’s family in Syria have been able to obtain information on his whereabouts or the reason for his arrest. His family suspects that the arrest is connected with his activities as chairman of the German branch of the Committee for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria (CDF), and with his various publications critical of the regime. ‘Abdi suffers from asthma and requires medication regularly.
KurdWatch, September 10, 2010