Scientists and Human Rights in Syria

1 For complete bibliographic information on the citations, see " References and Bibliography ."

2 A recent Middle East Watch report (1992c) estimates that about 4,400 to 4,800 people remain in political detention in Syria following recent amnesties. Amnesty International (1992) reports that "thousands" of prisoners of conscience and politi cal prisoners remain incarcerated following the amnesties of 1991 and 1992. The Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria (1991) give higher figures—14,000 political prisoners in Syria and Syrian-occupied Lebanon, w ith 7,000 held in Syria.

3 Specifically, the State of Emergency Law restricts individuals with respect to meetings, residence, and travel. It sanctions preventive arrest, censorship, evacuation or isolation of areas, and requisitioning or sequestration of property; see text of Sta te of Emergency Law in Amnesty International (1992:46-48).

4 One of the only other known responses of the Syrian government to a human rights intercession was in 1991: The government responded to the appeals of the U.S. government and of Jewish organizations and released four Jewish prisoners incarcerated for havi ng attempted to leave the country without exit visas.

5 Subsequent reports indicate that the Syrian government has halted exit permits to its Jewish citizens; see New York Times (1992:A10).

6 Middle East Watch (1992c:25-26) reports more than 250 arrests of Syrians since December 1991. Other human rights groups have reported 1,500 detained for questioning between January and mid-July, most for short periods; the detainees have included suspec ted members of banned political parties and human rights advocates.

7 The main concerns of the court were violations of the State of Emergency, in particular, violations of Decree Law No. 6, which asserts that "actions held to be incompatible with the implementation of the socialist order," whether demonstrations or assemblies or "any means of expression or publication," are punished as a criminal offense.

8 Amnesty International's latest report on Syria (1992:31) emphasizes: "The systematic use of arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention have provided the context for torture to be a routine and widespread practice in Syrian prisons and detention c entres."

9 Joan Simalchik, executive director, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, interview held by telephone, Toronto, Canada, November 18, 1992.

10 It is reported that Samir Haddad nearly died in detention, having suffered kidney failure. He was subsequently released in the December 1991 amnesty.

11 Other sources put the total killed in the June massacre at more than 1,000. According to documented reports, about 80 heavily armed special forces entered Tadmur Prison on June 27, opened cell doors, and machine-gunned prisoners; see Collello (1988:269) and Middle East Watch (1990:24,75).

12 During this period, summary trials were held within Tadmur Military Prison, in which military tribunals ordered the execution of many Moslem Brotherhood members; see Middle East Watch (1992c:22; 1990:90). According to the U.S. Department of State's most recent country report (1993), "it is widely believed that the regime continues to execute detainees held in secret at security facilities such as the one at Tadmor."

13 According to Middle East Watch (1992c:15), detained health professionals also were enlisted by prison authorities to treat fellow inmates who had been tortured.

14 The CHR does not know whether the medical and pharmacists' associations had established such committees. The Syrian Medical Association did have a human rights committee that undertook meetings and informational activities, especially on December 10, Hu man Rights Day.

15 The CHR received the texts of these resolutions in Arabic; they were translated and are available upon request from the CHR office.

16 "General Information on The Order of Syrian Engineers and Architects and on The Order of Syrian Engineers—Damascus," May 5, 1992; provided to CHR by the Order of Syrian Engineers and Architects, Damascus, in June 1992.

17 The denial of GSP benefits reportedly will have limited economic impact because Syria does not export substantial amounts to the United States under this program and because it continues to enjoy most-favored-nation trade status; see Human Rights Watch ( 1992c:343).