Syria: Detention of three journalists over publishing false news
Syria, Politics, 7/26/2004

The human rights society in Syria yesterday announced that the state security court issued sentences of imprisonment against three persons under the charge of "issuing false news" on the Internet website.

In a statement, the society said that " the state higher security court in Damascus sentenced each of Heitham Qteish for four year imprisonment, his brother Muhannad of three years and journalist Yahya al-Aws for two year imprisonment." The court said they were accused of publishing false news and getting news that should be kept in secret for the state security and for the benefit of a foreign state, as well as for writing that were not licensed by the government exposed Syria and the Syrians for hostile works endangering its links to foreign countries," the court gave no mention to.

The three men were " corresponding to one electronic paper in the United Arab Emirates " according to the society which explained that " al-Aws was detained in September 2002 and then followed in October the detention of the two Qteish brothers." On the other hand, the society said that the trial of student Masoud Hamid was postponed until October 10 for sentencing him. Masoud who was a student in the faculty of journalism in Damascus took a picture for a demonstration by Kurds students in front of UNICEF headquarters in Damascus in June 2003.

On the other hand, the Syrian lawyer Anwar al-Bunni said that the health condition of the Syrian expert Arif Dalila ( 62 year old) who is detained since three years "is deteriorating." He stressed quoting brother of Aref Dalila that the latter suffers a heart disease and his health status requires a surgery but he refuses to get medical care.

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