Detained journalist charged in court with “weakening national sentiment”

Reporters Without Borders today condemned the three charges that were formally brought against detained writer and journalist Michel Kilo in a criminal court in Damascus on 26 March for signing the “Beirut-Damascus, Damascus-Beirut” joint statement in May 2006. The charges, punishable by at least three years in prison, are “weakening national sentiment,” “spreading false information” and inciting “religious and racial dissension.” “The Syrian courts persists in bringing a grossly unfair prosecution against Kilo and other human rights activists,” the press freedom organisation said. “It raises question about the circumstances in which Syria's judges work. Political pressure from the Baath party weakens them and prevents them from fulfilling their role as guarantors of the law.” The “Beirut-Damascus, Damascus-Beirut” statement signed by Kilo and 300 other Syrian and Lebanese intellectuals and artists stresses the need to “respect and consolidate the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon and of Syria as part of institutionalised and transparent relations that serve the interests of both peoples.” Since his arrest on 14 May 2006, Kilo's lawyers have submitted several requests for his provisional release but all have been refused. Two other people, lawyer Anwar Al-Bunni and communist activist Mahmud Issa, have been detained and charged for signing the statement. Al-Bunni sent a letter about the violation of human rights in Syria to UN high commissioner for human rights Louise Arbour at the start of the latest session of the UN Human Rights Council on 12 March in Geneva. “Torture is still practised in Syria, and in a bestial manner,”Al-Bunni said in his letter to Arbour from Adra prison, where he has been held for the past 10 months. “I myself have been a witness of this although the prison in which I am held is a ‘civilian' one, that is to say, it is neither a military prison nor a security one. The inmates are savagely repressed, their rights are not recognised, their possessions are confiscated, and they are frequently humiliated to break their human dignity. We political prisoners have been mixed with the most dangerous non-politicals, who have attacked us at the request of the authorities.” The letter adds: “I and my fellow detainees in Adra civilian prison have the hope that concrete measures will be taken to force the Syrian authorities to respect human rights, to free prisoners of conscience and political prisoners (...) to repeal the state of emergency that has lasted for 44 years, to restore freedom of speech and opinion, press freedom and the freedom to set up civil society organisations and human rights organisations (...) and to respect the independence and neutrality of the judicial system.” Reporters Without Borders established a system of sponsorship 16 years ago in which international media are encouraged to adopt imprisoned journalists. More than 200 news organisations, journalists' associations, press clubs and other entities throughout the world are currently supporting journalists by regularly calling on the authorities to release them and by publicising their cases. Kilo has been adopted by Le Pèlerin (France), France Bleu Azur (France), various Spanish forums, the Almería Press Association (Spain) and the Calafell City Hall (Spain).