Scores of Syrians respond to government's call, exiled army officer, plastic artist return back home
Syria, Politics, 4/20/2005

A Syrian army officer sentenced to death following a failed coupe attempt against the ruling Baath Party in the 1960s and an artist in exile have returned back home.

Lawyer Anwar al-Bunni, the activist in the field of human right said that officer Jamal Allawan and artist Youssef Abdelki returned back to Damascus on Tuesday.

Al-Bunni added that between 60 to 70 exiled persons are preparing to return back home after the authorities permitted, giving them a passport valid for two years. Al-Bunni, however, demanded the end of the emergency law and the release of all political detainees and abrogating the decision to execute every member of the Muslim Brothers group.

Chairman of the Arab human rights organization, Muhammad Radoun, said in a telephone interview with al-Jazeera TV on Tuesday that the "good" welcome of Allwan might encourage others to return back home but he simultaneously considered this step as "marginal and symbolic" because it does not touch the relation between the authority and the society, especially with the continued acts of detention that took place during past days.

Commenting on Damascus's recent decision, Abdiliki expressed happiness to see his friends who spent decades in jail, noting that the conditions of the political situation in Damascus do not permit the return back to the 1980s and implied risks.

The human rights organizations welcomed on March 22 the decision of the Syrian authorities to provide passports to exiled Syrians compulsory or optionally in preparation for their return back home and settling their conditions.

Worthy mentioning that Col. Allawan was a member in the Naserite party which planned in 1963 to a military coupe just four months after the Baath party assumed power in Syria. He was sentenced to death but was exiled outside Syria after intervention from the late Egyptian President Jamal Abdul Nasser.

Abdiliki was detained between for years under the charge of being member in the Communist labor party. After his release he went to France where he spent more than 20 years.

Previous Stories:
  Welcoming release of Syrian detainees, a call for releasing others   (4/2/2005)
  Rifaat al-Assad calls for elections, amending the Syrian constitution   (4/2/2005)
  A call to protest against the emergency law in Damascus on Thursday   (3/10/2005)
  Syria releases 35 prisoners including the first political one   (8/5/2004)
  700 Syrian activists demand the government reforms   (2/4/2004)
  Heitham Manaa ends 25 years in exile   (8/25/2003)
  Human rights organization in Syria welcomes release of exiled Syrians   (8/12/2003)
  Syrian decree pardoning key opposition figures including Manna', al-Turk   (7/17/2003)

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