100 - Modern Discussion- Campaign of Solidarity with the Damascus Declaration Detainees and all Prisoners of Conscience in Syria

Campaign of Solidarity with the Damascus Declaration Detainees and all Prisoners of Conscience in Syria

On December 1, in a daring and unprecedented move of courage, 163 Syrian citizen, men and women, members of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration for Democratic Change, were able to meet and hold their Conference. For more than 12 hours, the meeting debated, modified and approved, several political and organizational document; then concluded by electing a 17-member leadership, representing almost all the national democratic currents, as well as the liberal, Islamist or independent currents in Syria. This event constituted a major step ahead in the form and content of the demcratic non-violent opposition to the despotic regime of Bashar al-Assad, largely seen as the most significant political and civil society action since the short-lived Damascus Spring, in 2001.
Consequently, on December 9, the State Security apparatus arrested over 30 of those who attended the Conference, released some of them after 24 to 48-hour interrogations, and kept in detention two members of the newly elected leadership, Dr. Ahmad Tohme and Jabr al-Shoufi. The second wave of detention began on December 11, when Akram al-Bunni, Fidaa al-Hourani (Chairwoman of the Council), `Ali al-Abdallah, Walid al Bunni, and Dr. Yasser al-Eiti were arrested.

As we strongly condemn these arrests, and indeed the whole oppressive policies of the Assad regime, we call for the immediate and unconditional release of the Damascus Declaration detainees, and all prisoners of conscience in Syria (namely, in particular: Professor Arif Dalila, Anwar al-Bunni, Michel Kilo, Kamal Labouani, and Faiq al-Mir). We also call upon international Human Rights organizations, the United Nations, the European Union, and all freedom defenders in the world, to react to this new blatant breach of democratic principles in general, and to Syria s own Constitution (Article 26, which guarantees the right of participation in political life, and Articles 38 and 39, which guarantee freedom of expression and assembly).

To sign the Arabic related campaign , please click
حملة التضامن مع معتقلي "إعلان دمشق" وجميع سجناء الرأي في سورية

The Undersigned
bgubrail@yahoo.dk
2007 / 12 / 29