Aref Dalila faces death in prison

The Syrian lawyer Anwar al-Bunni said yesterday that the Syrian economist Aref Dalila " is facing death in prison and refuses medical treatment."

Al-Bunni explained that the " health condition of the economist Aref Dalila ( 62 year old) who is detained since 3 years is deteriorated and he is diabetics and his heart beats are irregular." Al-Bunni added that the " Syrian authorities summoned the brother of the prisoner Tawfiq and his wife Ameera for the second time to convince him of having heart surgery."

Al-Bunni added that Dalila refused medical treatment while in prison and preferred to face death in protest of his continued detention and sentencing him because of his political views and continued non humanitarian treatment he faces. He extended " an urgent appeal for a humanitarian campaign to save his life by releasing him together with all detainees and closing the file of detention" in Syria.

Aref Dalila was detained in 2001 with a group of opposition figures and he was sentenced by the state security to imprisonment under the charge of " seeking to change the constitution illegally."