The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) has learnt that Dr. Sufyan Bakkour was released on Monday 4/5/2009, following his detention of approximately two years and three months.

Dr. Sufyan Bakkour was arrested on 13/1/2007 by the Branch of Political Security as a hostage for his father, Mohammed Ahmed Bakkour, President of the Syrian Committee for Democratic Action and  the political opponent who has been living in Iraq for 39 years.

Dr. Sufyan Bakkour returned to Syria in Spring 2003, after settling his condition with the Security Officer at the Syrian Embassy in Iraq. Although he had not participated in any political activities, he was counted as a political opponent due to his father’s views.

During his imprisonment, in which he was neither taken to court nor presented with any charge, he went on hunger strike on various occasions, including 14/8/2007and 13/1/2008 in which he declared open hunger strikes. He also suffered from severe Cholecytitis at the beginning of this year, which led SHRC to issue an appeal to save his life on 6/2/2009.

Sufyan Mohammed Bakkour comes from the Syrian Province of Hama, although he was born in Baghdad, 1977.

SHRC welcomes this release, and congratulates Dr. Sufyan Mohammed Bakkour, his father, and his family on the occasion of regaining his freedom. SHRC calls upon the Syrian Authorities on this occasion to release all political prisoners, prisoners of conscience and hostages in the Syrian prisons and detention centres, requesting them to close the dossier of arbitrary and despotic arrests once and for all, and to put an end to taking hostages in lieu of their relatives.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
5/5/2009