Syria: Rejecting licensing Seif Forum

The Syrian ministry of Social Affairs and labor has refused a request applied by member of the Syrian parliament Riad Seif to found a society under the name "the national dialogue forum" in the Damascus countryside province, while the spokesman for the " Jamal al-Attasi forum" Habib Issa complained from complications.

The text of rejecting Seif's request which was undersigned by the minister of social affairs and labor Bare'a al-Qudsi under number 2593, dated May 8 said that " this matter is not the specialization of our ministry and enforced legal texts are not applicable on it," and therefore " we inform you our refusal of it." One week earlier Seif expressed optimism when his request was accepted towards getting a license but his application was refused just five days from the date of applying.

In the same context the official spokesman for " Jamal al-Attasi forum for democratic dialogue " hoped that complications he met at the ministry of social affairs and labor to be " temporary."

Issa on Wednesday circulated a statement in Damascus in which he said that the ministry of social affairs and labor asked him to submit the necessary papers within a period of time not to exceed 48 hours, and to vow to that by signing, but the ministry refused to receive the paper in the next day because of the absence of the employee " commissioned to receive the paper because he is in a leave." On the other hand, the chairman of the committee in defense of human rights in Syria Aktham Nueiseh praised the release of the Syrian journalist Nizar Nayouf several days ago after a detention of 9 years.

In a statement circulated in Damascus, Nueiseh said that the committee welcomes the release of " Nizar Nayouf and hopes that releasing him was not made under any precondition." In its statement the committee expressed best wishes for Nayouf's recovery from his several diseases."