Detente for human rights in Syria
Syria, Politics, 7/27/2001

News reports in Damascus said that specialized authorities in Syria started to give great number of former detainees already released, their civil identity cards and passports without any prior conditions.

In the first months of his rule, President Bashar al-Assad released 600 political detainees in a step which was considered a step forward towards greater detente in the field of human rights in Syria.

The reports quoted human rights activists in Syria that Haseiba Abdul Rahman, the woman activist in this regard was informed that she can get a passport after completing the measure to have her ID. The already released detainee Faraj Beiraqdar was permitted to get a passport to travel to Jordan to take part in Jarash's poetry festival and that similar measures will be taken for others.

Meantime, the constituent committee of the human rights committee held its first meeting on Thursday to prepare the society's program and elect the council of secretaries which is composed of 11 members, while number of the participants in the meeting exceeded 40.

The board includes Haitham al-Maleh as a chairman, Salim Kheir Beck as a vice chairman, Omar Kardous as a secretary and lawuer teima' al-Jayoush as a Fund's secretary, besides members of the council which includes Riad Seif, Hassan Abbas and Haitham al-Keilnai, Ridwan Seyadah, Ali al-Omar, Ahmad Fawaz and Munir al-Khatib.

A statement circulated by the society said " it will submit its documents to specialized sides for legal licensing." On the other hand, the Syrian lawyer Khalil Matouq, owner of the human rights forum announced withdrawal from the Syrian communist party and this is for reasons relating to his work in the area of human rights which he said " his work in the area of human rights requires utmost rate of independence from the authority as well as other parties working with the authorities or with the opposition, alike.

Previous Stories:
  Syrian member of parliament calls for human rights   (6/28/2001)
  Syria: Rejecting licensing Seif Forum   (5/11/2001)
  Syrian authorities release Journalist Nizar Nayouf   (5/8/2001)

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