President of the Syrian Opposition Coalition, Nasr al-Hariri, made a surprise inspection visit to Ma’aratah Central Prison and the Military Court in Afrin to ascertain the conditions inside the prison and the legal procedures in the court.
Al-Hariri was accompanied with SOC’s Secretary-General Abdul Basit Abdul Latif, head of the Syrian National Commission for the Affairs of Detainees and Forcibly Disappeared Persons, Yasser Al-Farhan, members of the political committee Muhammad Yahya Maktabi and Bahjat Al-Atassi, and Coordinator of the SOC’s Office in rural Aleppo Ahmed Al-Shehadi.
The SOC’s delegation toured the prison and checked up on the health facilities as well as listened to a number of prisoners.
Al-Hariri and his accompanying delegation attended a court hearing where they were briefed about its proceedings. They also ascertained the procedures in the Military Judicial Administration which was formed in September 2018 under a decision by the Syrian Interim Government.
The delegation met with the prison administration and judges of the Military Court as they commended the efforts to improve the legal processes and uphold human rights.
They also stressed the need to ensure fair trials for prisoners and the right to defense. They also stressed that no person should be detained without a decision by the judiciary in accordance with the approved legal procedures.
They also stressed the importance of observing preventive measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus among prisoners; abide by the health measures issued by the Ministry of Health in the Syrian Interim Government; improve hygiene in the prison; and ensure continued sterilization of the facility. (Source: SOC’s Media Department)
