Syria

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 5 August 2003 CPJ press release: SYRIA: Government revokes private weekly’s license New York, August 5, 2003-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the Syrian government’s closure of the privately owned satirical weekly Al-Domari. Anwar al-Bunni, a lawyer representing the paper, told CPJ that the government canceled the newspaper’s […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has urged Prime Minister Mustapha Miro to rescind his 31 July 2003 decree withdrawing the satirical weekly “Addomari”‘s publication licence. The decree, which follows months of administrative harassment, censorship and intimidation of the country’s only independent, satirical newspaper, will “undoubtedly further tarnish Syria’s image,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard warned. The decision was […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – The following is an IFJ media release: 29 May 2003 IFJ Accuses Syria Over “Official Vendetta” Against Family of Journalist in Exile The International Federation of Journalists has called on the authorities in Syria to end the harassment of the family of exiled journalist and human rights activist Nizar Nayouf. The journalist’s father […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has urged the foreign ministers of European Union (EU) member countries to raise the issue of the lack of press freedom in Syria with their Syrian counterpart, most likely Foreign Minister Farouk al-Chareh, during the meeting of Euro-Mediterranean foreign ministers in Crete on 26 and 27 May 2003. The organisation is expressly […]

(WiPC/IFEX) – WiPC of International PEN is concerned at the continued detention of poet and writer Marwan Osman, a member of the Kurdish PEN Centre. International PEN continues to believe that Osman has been targeted by the Syrian authorities solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression and association as guaranteed by Article […]

(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 […]

(CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a CPJ press release: JOURNALISTS PETITION FOR SYRIAN COLLEAGUE’S RELEASE New York, January 16, 2003-The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sent an open letter, signed by nearly two dozen leading Arab journalists, calling on Syrian president Bashar al-Assad to free detained journalist Ibrahim Hemaidi. Hemaidi, the Damascus bureau chief for […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 27 December 2002, RSF called for the immediate release of Syrian national Ibrahim Hamidi, age 33, who was arrested in Syria on 23 December. Hamidi is the Damascus bureau chief for the pan-Arab daily newspaper “Al-Hayat”. On 27 December the government news agency SANA announced that the journalist would be tried for […]

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is a 7 October 2002 IPI letter to French President Jacques Chirac, on the occasion of his upcoming official state visit to Syria: His Excellency Jacques Chirac President of the Republic of France Palais de l’Elysée 55, rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré F 75008 Paris Fax: +33.1.42.92.81.00 Vienna, 7 October 2002 Your Excellency, […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 24 May 2002, RSF protested to Syria over the exclusion of journalists from recent trials of regime opponents. The organisation noted that the move demonstrated the extent to which the authorities have “no wish to answer to international public opinion” for their rule. “This attitude is clearly a sign of the hardening […]

(WAN/IFEX) – In a 24 May 2002 letter to President Bashar al-Assad, WAN and the World Editors Forum (WEF), expressed their serious concern over the arrest of journalist Aziza Sbayni and her sister. According to reports, in early May security forces arrested Sbayni and her sister Shirin in Damascus. The two women were reportedly jailed […]

(IPI/IFEX) – In a 2 May 2002 letter to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, IPI strongly condemned the ongoing campaign of harassment and violence against the family of Syrian journalist Nizar Nayyouf. Refusing to publicly condemn Nizar’s reports as lies, the family has suffered greatly at the hands of the Syrian authorities. Most recently this includes […]

(RSF/IFEX) – On 30 April 2002, RSF protested the Syrian government’s refusal to renew Maher Chmaytelli’s accreditation. Chmaytelli is the Damascus bureau chief of the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP). “This demonstrates once again that the regime will target any media that dare to criticise it,” said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. “The hopes raised […]

(IPI/IFEX) – In a 15 February 2002 letter to Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, on the eve of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s official state visit to Italy (19-21 February), IPI brought to the Italian president’s attention the ongoing campaign of harassment and intimidation against Syrian journalist Nizar Nayyouf’s family. As a result of their refusal […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to Information Minister Adnan Omrane, RSF protested the new conditions set out for the distribution of the satirical newspaper “Addomari”. Ali Farzat, the newspaper’s owner, has since decided to suspend its publication. “The authorities are currently using all possible means at their disposal to close the country’s only private satirical […]

(WiPC/IFEX) – The following is a 7 December 2001 WiPC statement: Syria: Nizar Nayyuf and his relatives start hunger strike in protest at attacks on his family Journalist Nizar Nayyuf and three of his family members have embarked on a hunger strike in protest at attacks on his brothers. International PEN is demanding that the […]