(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN is concerned over the detention and trial of poet and writer Marwan Osman, a member of the Kurdish PEN Centre. On 10 December 2002, the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Unity Party (SKDUP) held a peaceful demonstration with some 200 participants before the National Assembly in Damascus. Osman was arrested […]
(WiPC/IFEX) – The WiPC of International PEN is concerned over the detention and trial of poet and writer Marwan Osman, a member of the Kurdish PEN Centre.
On 10 December 2002, the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Unity Party (SKDUP) held a peaceful demonstration with some 200 participants before the National Assembly in Damascus. Osman was arrested with Hassan Saleh, both leading members of the SKDUP. They were among those who presented a memorandum to National Assembly President Abdul Qadir Qadurah, demanding greater protection for the rights of Kurds living in Syria. Saleh and Osman were arrested five days later, following an invitation for a meeting by the interior minister, Major General Ali Hammud.
The following day, members of the Syrian security forces reportedly searched both men’s houses in Qamishli and ‘Ayn al-Aarab, in northern Syria. Saleh’s son, Siamant Saleh, and Osman’s brother, Ahmad Osman, were taken from the houses and interrogated by members of the Syrian Security Forces. They were released after five hours.
Osman and Saleh appeared before a military court on 15 January 2003, at which time they were referred to the Supreme State Security Court on charges of “inciting religious and ethnic discord”. If convicted, they could face a sentence of up to 15 years’ hard labour.
Osman has written a number of dramas in Kurdish and has edited reviews in Kurdish and Arabic, including “Dialogue”, “Pirs” and “Yekiti”. He is also a member of the General Secretariat of the Arab Organisation for the Defence of Expression and Press Freedom (AODEPF).
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– expressing the belief that Osman is being targeted by the authorities solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and association, as guaranteed by Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights
– expressing alarm at the prolonged detention of Osman and Saleh, in contravention of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Syria is a signatory
– calling for their whereabouts to be made known
– urging the authorities to ensure the humanitarian treatment of Osman and Saleh in detention
– calling for the charges against Osman and Saleh to be dropped, and for their immediate and unconditional release
Appeals To
His Excellency President Bashar al-Assad
President of the Republic
Presidential Palace
Abu Rummaneh, Al-Rashid Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: +963 11 332 3410Please copy appeals to the diplomatic representative for Syria in your country if possible.
Please copy appeals to the source if possible.
