Growing concern about 12 pro-democracy activists held in Damascus crackdown

Reporters Without Borders and the Damascus Committee in France gave a news conference at the press freedom organisation's headquarters in Paris today to voice their mounting concern about a crackdown that began in December in which 12 pro-democracy activists, three of them journalists, have been arrested. Mohammed Abdallah, the son of imprisoned journalist Ali Abdallah, addressed the news conference by live video link from Beirut, describing the difficult time his family is experiencing. Syrian writer Farouk Mardam-Bey condemned the state of siege that has been in force in Syria since 1962. “We are very worried about these journalists and human rights activists who are being held in very harsh condition and who, in some cases, need medical treatment,” Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said. “The press freedom situation in Syria is not improving despite the emergence of new media, and the regime still controls journalists with an iron grip.” Ménard added: “The Internet is more repressed than ever, with the closure of many websites in 2007 and the adoption of a law forcing Internet café managers to record all the comments which their clients post on discussion forums.” Speaking from Beirut, where he is currently living, Mohammed Abdallah said his father has been mistreated in prison. “When my father was taken before a judge, his lawyers were able to see the many marks from blows and injuries on his body and face,” he said. “My mother is currently allowed to visit him once a week but his lawyers have still not been able to see him in prison. The charges brought against him are the same as the ones brought against all human rights activists detained in Syria.” Abdallah concluded by stressing the need for the international community to renew its mechanisms of pressure on the Syrian regime, which is indifferent to mere criticism, he said. Mardam-Bey said the current wave of arrests of human rights activists was the third since Bashar al-Assad became president. “The first, in 2001, targeted the leading figures of the Damascus Spring,” he said. “The second, in 2006, aimed to silence the leading promoters of the Damascus-Beirut, Beirut-Damascus Declaration, including journalist and writer Michel Kilo and lawyer Anwar Al-Bunni. Now, we have just seen a third wave of arrests in which 12 activists have been charged with imaginary crimes and offences.” All 12 of the pro-democracy activists arrested since 11 December are signatories of the Damascus Declaration and attended a meeting of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration at the start of December. There were charged on 28 January with “harming the prestige of the state,” “publishing false information,” “membership of a secret organisation designed to destabilise the state” and “fueling ethnic and racial tension.” No date has been set for their trial.