Appeal court quashes early release for Michel Kilo

Reporters Without Borders firmly condemns today's refusal by a plenary session of the Damascus appeal court to grant journalist and human rights activist Michel Kilo early release. The judges overturned an earlier ruling by the court in favour of Kilo's release from Adra prison, in a Damascus suburb. “After a wait of several weeks, the court has finally dashed Kilo's hope of being freed from Adra prison, where he has been held since May 2006,” Reporters Without Borders said. “He had ever right to be released, but instead the court suddenly overturned the release order. Judges acting at the government's behest have yet again demonstrated their readiness to persecute Syrians who express their view freely. We now solemnly urge President Bashar Al-Assad to use his prerogative to grant Kilo a pardon.” Overturning a Damascus criminal court's decision, the appeal court had ruled on 3 November that Kilo should be released on the grounds that he had completed three quarters of his sentence. But the Damascus prosecutor appealed against the 3 November ruling, resulting in today's decision by the appeal court in plenary session. A leading figure in the struggle for democracy in Syria, Kilo was arrested on 14 May 2006 after signing the “Beirut-Damascus, Damascus-Beirut” appeal for a radical overhaul of relations between Syria and Lebanon. He was sentenced to three years in prison on a charge of “undermining national sentiment.” Kilo has been adopted by Le Pèlerin (France), the 06 Mediterranean Press Club (France), various Spanish forums, the Almería Press Association (Spain) and the Calafell City Hall (Spain).