Chaaban Abboud released after five days in custody

Chaaban Abboud, correspondent for Lebanese daily An-Nahar and the Kuwait daily Al Ra'i al Aam, has been released on bail. The journalist was arrested on 2 March and charged by a Damascus military court with “publishing mendacious reports harmful to national security”. Abboud had written an article on appointments within the security and intelligence services, a few days before his arrest. The daily An-Nahar said in a statement on 7 march that the “arrest of the journalist was because of routine procedures, following transfers within the security services”. The paper added that “the intervention of journalists and human rights activists helped reduce the bureaucratic steps and meant that law triumph in the handling of this case”. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 07.03.2006 Authorities arrest local correspondent of Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar Reporters Without Borders today called for the release of Shaaban Abboud, the Damascus correspondent of the Lebanese daily An-Nahar and the Kuwaiti daily Al Ra'i al Aam, who was arrested on 2 March under a 1963 state of emergency law and charged with “publishing mendacious reports harmful to national security.” He faces up to five years in prison. “All Abboud did was mention reports which are known to everyone and which have already been published on websites run by senior members of the Baath party,” the press freedom organisation said. “The Syrian government continues to use its old repressive methods to prevent the emergence of an independent press. The 1963 state of emergency serves as a pretext for harassing and arresting journalists who dare to criticise the authorities.” Reporters Without Borders added: “The real reason for Abboud's arrest was obviously political. An-Nahar, one of the newspapers he contributes to, is known for being very critical of the Syrian government and has been banned within Syria for years. The murders last year of An-Nahar editorialist Sami Kassir and its executive editor Gebran Tuéni clearly have not made Abboud's work any easier.” Abboud was arrested as a result of a report in the 1 March issue of An-Nahar about appointments within the Syrian intelligence services. He was taken before a military court under an article in the 1963 state of emergency law providing for the trial of anyone jeopardising state security. Reached by Reporters Without Borders, Syrian lawyer and human rights activist Anwar Bounni called for Abboud's release and stressed the irregularity of his arrest. “Taking him before a military tribunal is a serious violation of his right to freedom, as military tribunals are supposed to be used only in exceptional circumstances for civilians and permit long periods of arbitrary pre-trial detention,” Bounni said. He added: “Journalists are normally tried before civilian courts under the law on publications.”