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of Human Rights Defenders

5 February 2012

Human rights defender and lawyer Abdulla Al Khalil has been summoned to appear before the criminal court in Al Riqqa on 6 February 2012 to face criminal charges.

Abdulla Al Khalil, a member of the Detainees Defence Team in Al Riqqa, has provided free legal aid and financial assistance to dozens of victims of arbitrary arrest and detention since the uprising in the country began in March 2011. Since he began this work he has been subjected to an ongoing campaign of intimidation and harassment by the authorities, including detention, judicial harassment and death threats.

On 6 February 2012, Abdulla Al Khalil is due to appear before the criminal court in Al Riqqa to face charges including aggression on state property and illegal building under the provisions of the penal code and law no. 59 of 2008. These charges carry with them sentences ranging from two to six years imprisonment. The court summons against Abdulla Al Khalil comes less than a month after the demolition of his farm house and threats to destroy his olive trees by order of the Governor of Riqqa. During the demolition members of his family were attacked and his nephews were beaten. As a result one of them had to be taken to hospital where he received stitches.

In April 2011, Abdulla Al Khalil received death threats perpetrated by an official of the ruling Ba’ath party calling for his head be cut off and thrown into the Euphrates river. He reported this incident and other verbal abuse and threats he received from Ba’ath party officials to the police and lodged a complaint with the Attorney General. No action, was however, taken against the perpetrators.

On 1 May 2011, Abdulla Al Khalil was arrested by the military security in Al Riqqa and shackled and blindfolded for several hours while being held in solitary confinement. He was interrogated on issues related to his defence of political detainees and sources of funding of his work. He was transferred in the evening to the military intelligence department in the town of Dier Al Zourr, still shackled and blindfolded, where he was interrogated further. On the third day of his detention he was brought to Al Riqqa military police department and several hours later he was transferred to the criminal security department in Al Riqqa where he was interrogated again at length. On the fourth day he was presented before the investigating magistrate who questioned him and remanded him in custody at Al Riqqa Prison on charges of taking part in unauthorised demonstrations and inciting sectarian strife.

He was held without charge for a month on the order of the criminal security department in Damascus despite the fact that his official period of detention expired ten days after his arrest. He was held in a political security detention centre for four days where he was interrogated before being transferred to Adra Prison where he was detained for several days. He was then taken to the criminal security department in Damascus where he was held in harsh conditions in a cell invested with insects including cockroaches. He was then taken back to Al Riqqa where he was presented before a magistrate and subsequently detained at Al Riqqa criminal security detention centre before being released.

Several days after his release he was included in a presidential amnesty decreed at the time and he was handed back his mobile phone which had been confiscated after he managed to use it to reach Al Jazeera TV while in detention. In the aftermath of his release he was subjected to a smear campaign including accusations of drug and arms dealing, and receiving money from the USA and and Europe. His clients were asked not to seek his services as a lawyer.

On 22 August 2011, the human rights defender was arrested again from inside the Justice Palace building in Riqqa where he was taking part in a sit-down protest with fellow lawyers. He was detained for one week along with 21 other lawyers on charges of taking part in a demonstration.

On 15 December 2011, Abdulla Al Khalil and his son Muhammad were arrested in front of his home by a group of security officers and detained at the criminal security department in separate cells. His son was released the following day, but Abdulla Al Khalil was held incommunicado in solitary confinement during the first day and denied access to sanitary facilities. He was interrogated during the second day of detention and charged with spreading false news and for inciting and taking part in protests. During the interrogation he was questioned about articles he posted on his Facebook page featuring torture and ill-treatment reported by his clients. While in detention the Governor of Riqqa tried to force him to sign a document authorising the demolition of his home, which he refused to do.

His clients, family and those working on his farms have also been threatened and intimidated as part of the campaign against the human rights defender. As a result he has suffered damages to his farm and incurred losses due to a drop in the number of clients seeking his legal services. Two of his nephews, one of whom manages one of Abdulla Al Khalil’s farms, are also at risk of being tried on charges of stealing water. Further court summons are pending against more of his relatives whom the authorities count as his supporters. Despite all of this he continues to work for the defence of human rights and provides legal aid to an increasing number of peaceful pro-democracy protesters.

Front Line Defenders is deeply concerned about the Syrian authorities’ campaign of judicial harassment, intimidation, and death threats against human rights defender Abdulla Al Khalil and his family. Front Line Defenders believes that this campaign is an attempt to stop him from continuing his human rights work in particularly from providing free legal aid to victims of human rights violations in the context of the ongoing Syrian uprising.