Syrian judiciary refuses to summon witnesses to Seif's trial
Syria, Politics, 1/25/2002

News reports in Damascus said that the judge of the second criminal court Jasem Muhammad has refused to call on the speaker of the Syrian parliament Abdul Qader Qaddoura and member of the Syrian parliament Munzir Mouselli to have their testimonies in the case of the independent member of the Syrian parliament Riad Seif, under the pretext that this will be " useless."

Judge Muhammad, however, permitted the defendant committee to summon for testimony three persons out of nine called for to be witnesses in this case.

Six foreign diplomats attended the session representing the US, Japan, Spain, Italy, the Norway and the European Union and the director of the German Goethe Institute ( the German cultural center) in Damascus.

The judge said that the convict ( Seif) was interrogated for more than one time before the investigation judge and the chairman of the court. The judge refused the call to summon Qaddoura for testimony according to article 67 of the constitution of the Syrian Arab republic for 1973. The call to invite al-Mouselli for a testimony was also rejected because of the fact the " the accused (Seif) has been tried over evidences against him filed in this case on provoking sectarianism."

The judge, however, permitted the invitation of the witnesses (visitors of the Forum Seif used to hold in his house). They are Youssef Salman, Didwan Zeyadah and Nazir Jazmati on denying events attributed in the sealed report on the violation of the constitution and provoking sectarianism and rejected to call on the other 6 witnesses because they did not attend the session of the Forum ( according to the two sealed reports).

Previous Stories:
  Damascus: summoning on Qaddoura to witness in Seif's case   (11/30/2001)
  Several political detainees released in Syria   (11/27/2001)
  Seif- al-Homsi to be tried on Tuesday, Wednesday   (10/29/2001)

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