The Syrian Authorities have returned to their old practices pursued in the last third of the previous century in arresting and detaining women for lengthy periods because of their kinship, or being married to detainees due to their Islamic background. It is well known that some ladies who were detained in the 1980’s remained in custody for as long as 20 years for the mere reason of being married or related to Islamists. Such practices lead to the destruction and devastation of many families in which the children lost both parents. The Syrian authorities on their part, rather than taking care of the women who suffered because of the detention of their husbands or sons, were instead taken as hostages and deprived from their freedom without justification, and their younger children were left to loss and devastation.

Human Rights Watch relayed today the news that three ladies from the town of al-Otaiba in rural Damascus were arrested from their homes without justification other than they are wives of Islamic detainees. Yousra al-Hussein, wife of Jihad Diab who is detained in Guantanamo Bay was arrested from her home on 31/07/2008. Four days later, Ra’waa al-Kilani, wife of Ziad al-Kilani was arrested from her home. Her husband has been detained in Sednaya prison since April 2004 without being convicted with any offence. Around the same date Bayan, wife of detainee Ahmed Saleh Ali was arrested from her home. Her husband was arrested and has been detained in Sednaya prison since June 2005 without being convicted with any offence.

The Syrian Security and Intelligence authorities are used to violating the rights and freedoms of Syrian families whose members have been arrested because of their religious background. This violation was welcomed by silence on the international level, with the exception of human rights groups. On the Syrian society level, the authorities invest in the systematic destruction of these families in order to scare the others of facing the same fate. Another aim is to satisfy their revenge, which contradicts the state’s obligation to guarantees the rights of its citizens.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee requests that the Syrian Authorities reveal the whereabouts of the three women, and to release them immediately. It also requests that the detainees families, especially those arrested on their religious background be protected from the abuse and revenge of the security and intelligence apparatuses, and to pay enough respect to the values and traditions of the Syrian society which disdain the arresting of women and the violation of their honour.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
18/08/2008