Syrian Activist Born In Prison Arrested After Re-Entering Country

Assad’s security forces have detained Dr. Maria Bahjat Sha’bo since Sunday, November 2nd. She was arrested on the Lebanese – Syrian border when she was coming back with the two activists Jdayye’ Nofal and Omar al- Sha’ar on charge of participation in a workshop about human rights in Beirut, however those who are close to her said that she was in Beirut to visit her mother who went to Beirut in order to participate in a medical conference. It is worth mention that Maria’s mother gave birth to her daughter inside the regime’s jails after arresting her in 1988 on charges of belonging to the Communist Labor Party. Also, her father Dr. Bahjat Sha’bo was arrested for the second time in 1992 on charge of belonging to the same party. We call upon the United Nations to put pressure on the Syrian regime to release this doctor along with 200,000 other detainees from the regime’s prisons. A number of human rights activists had earlier launched a campaign demanding the release of human rights activist Dr. Faten Rajab from Assad’s jails. The organizers of the campaign appealed to the international community and human rights organizations “to act immediately and vigorously for the release of Faten Rajab, whose imprisonment represents a flagrant violation of all human rights laws.” Faten Rajab, who holds a Masters degree in physics and atomics, has been detained in Assad’s jails since November 2011 at the Air Force Intelligence branch. The organizers of the campaign also call upon all human rights organizations and activists to demonstrate solidarity with Faten Rajab and also call for the abolition of court-martials and special courts. We emphasize the illegality of all exceptional courts, especially the field court-martials as they do not abide by any international or domestic legal procedures, nor do those who are referred there have any rights to defend themselves or even hire a lawyer to defend themselves. Furthermore, the provisions of these courts may reach the death penalty and are not subject to any sorts of appeal. “The charges filed against Rajab by the Assad regime are still unclear,” her lawyer said to Amnesty International. “The detention of Rajab is tantamount to enforced disappearance, and she has been subjected to torture and ill-treatment,” he added. The Syrian Coalition has earlier held the Assad regime full responsibility for the fate Rajab and has called on all international human rights organizations to immediately intervene to uncover her fate and ensure her safety. The Syrian Coalition also calls on the international community to assume its responsibilities and to do everything possible to stop the Assad regime’s violations against Syrian women in its custody and in the besieged areas. It is worth noting that the UN Security Council Resolution No.2139, which was adopted on February 22, 2014, strongly condemned the arbitrary detention and torture of civilians in Syria, as well as kidnappings and enforced disappearances, and called for an immediate halt to these practices and the release of all persons detained arbitrarily. (Source: Syrian Coalition + Al Arabiya)