Mazen Darwish Sentenced to 15 Years Imprisonment

The Counter-terrorism Court of the Assad regime charged Mazen Darwish, Director of Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, with “promoting terrorist acts,” along with his colleagues, Hani Zitani and Hussein Greer. The Court demanded the maximum penalty, which is 15-year hard labor imprisonment. Despite the postponement of the case for more than a year under the pretext of collecting evidence for these claims, the prosecution came out with a single sentence: “Demanding maximum penalty,” without giving a shred of evidence of these allegations. The hearing was adjourned to June 18, 2014 after Darwish objected to the non-speciality of the Court and because the case is related to the activity of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression, a civilian rights organization licensed since 2004. The raid and arrest were made without a legal arrest warrant. The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression demands that the case be referred back to an ordinary court, or the immediate and unconditional release of Darwish and his colleagues who have been detained since February 2012. (Source: The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression)