Defend International participated in the General Assembly Interactive
Hearings with
NGOs which took place at United Nations Headquarters in New York on
14-15
June 2010. President
of D... Read More ...
Nigeria: New International Fact-finding Report on the Situation of HR Defenders
The
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
programme of
the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International
Federation
for Human Rights (FIDH), and F... Read More ...
DI joins 2010 Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence
Defend International has joined IANSA (International Action Network on Small Arms) and other NGOs in 110
countries to
mark the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, 10 - 16 May. ... Read More ...
Nuclear Weapons: Historic Opportunity to Ensure They Will Never Be Used Again
States
have an historic opportunity to bring the era of nuclear
weapons to an end once and for all, the International Committee of the
Red
Cross (ICRC) said in Geneva recently.... Read More ...
Syria: Arbitrary Detention of Leading Human Rights Activist
Defend International (DI) has been informed by reliable sources
of the case of Mr. Abdul-Hafiz Abdul Al-Rahman, a leading human rights activist
in Syria.
DI believes that he is a priso... Read More ...
Syria: Prisoners on Hunger Strike in Adra Prison
Written by DI Monitoring & Investigation Committee
Friday, 27 November 2009
Prisoners on Hunger Strike
Defend International (DI) is
alarmed by reports that several Kurdish political prisoners have started a
hunger strike to protest prison conditions, unfair trial practices and racial
discrimination.
DI has contacted the International Committee of the
Red Cross, High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the
Council of the European Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations,
seeking their urgent intervention in this matter.
Latest news:
The Kurdish prisoners ended their hunger strike on 8 December 2009, apparently because negotiations have been carried out between the hunger strikers and Syrian officials.
Defend International
27 November 2009
PUBLIC
STATEMENT
DI Calls upon the Syrian
Authorities to Engage in Dialogue with the Prisoners in Adra Prison
(Oslo) -Defend International urges Syria to put an end to all forms of harassment against its Kurdish minority, to investigate these abuses, to follow where evidence leads, and to punish those suspected of violating international law.
Defend International is alarmed by
reports that several Kurdish political prisoners have started a hunger strike to
protest prison conditions, unfair trial practices and racial discrimination. The
hunger strike is taking place in Adra prison, located 20 km north-east of
Damascus. After having submitted numerous petitions to the government, they
have since October 30 resorted to a hunger strike in a desperate attempt to get
the attention of the government.
The Kurds in Syria have suffered from systematic
repression characterized by grave violations of their economic, social,
cultural, civil and political rights, as well as death in custody under torture,
indefinite detention without trial, disappearances, widespread arbitrary
arrests, torture and other cruel, inhuman treatment or punishment.
Defend
International is calling for urgent intervention by the Syrian authorities to put
and end to all forms of harassment against its Kurdish minority and punish
those suspected of violating international law. To date, Syrian officials have failed to take any action to investigate these abuses, follow
where evidence leads, and hold those responsible to account.
Many prisoners in Adra prison, which
is administered by the Syrian Interior Ministry and the Security agency, are accused
under various
articles of the Syrian Penal Code. The Kurdish activists and human
rights defenders are often convicted of "weakening nationalist sentiment" and/or "inciting sectarian or racial strife or provoking conflict between sects and
various members of the nation."
The prisoners are not
allowed access to their lawyers or to their families. Their
demands cover a wide spectre, but in particular they call upon the Syrian
authorities to ensure that conditions of detention conform to international standards
for the treatment of prisoners. The prisoners are also protesting against the unlawful trials some of
them were subjected to. Now, after 28 days their health has deteriorated; detainees are suffering
severe migraine attacks and debilitating weight and fluid loss. The Syrian
Government has not taken any step to engage in dialogue with the detainees nor
to pay heed to their requests.
Defend
International has contacted the International Committee of the Red Cross, High
Commissioner for Human Rights, the Secretary-General of the Council of the
European Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, calling for their
urgent intervention to meet the demands of the prisoners, to urge the Syrian authorities
to immediately provide prisoners with medical attention if needed, and to
protect them from any further torture or ill-treatment.
