Syria: Amnesty International welcomes release of prisoner of conscience

Amnesty International today welcomed the release of Syrian prisoner of conscience Dr ‘Aref Dalilah.

“We hope that the long overdue release of Dr Dalilah is followed by the release of all other prisoners of conscience in Syria,” said Amnesty International.

Dr Dalilah — who served seven years of a 10-year sentence mostly in solitary confinement — was released following a presidential amnesty. The reason for his release is unclear, but may be related to his deteriorating health. Dr Dalilah said he was not informed of any conditions or restrictions on his release, but is unsure whether he will be able to travel outside the country.

Thousands of Amnesty International members around the world had been campaigning for Dr Dalilah’s release since his arrest on 9 September 2001, when Amnesty International declared him to be a prisoner of conscience.

Speaking to Amnesty International today, Dr Dalilah said: “I am thankful for all the efforts made by everyone at Amnesty International and all those who took part in actions on my behalf. We are united in the struggle for the causes of justice and democracy. This struggle is still ongoing.”

Dr ‘Aref Dalilah was one of ten people detained during the “Damascus Spring”, a brief period of increased tolerance by the authorities for freedom of expression and pro-reform activities that followed Bashar al-Assad’s inauguration as President in July 2000. He was handed down the longest sentence.

Amnesty International said that Dr Dalilah’s release does not close the chapter of “Damascus Spring” detentions, as two other members of the “Damascus Spring” group who already served their sentences have been re-arrested and are now in detention. Kamal al-Labwani has been sentenced to a further 15 years for his pro-democracy activities and Habib Saleh is being tried for having published political articles on the internet.

Hundreds of political prisoners remain imprisoned in Syria. These include 14 people detained since late 2007 for their involvement in the pro-democracy umbrella group, the Damascus Declaration for Democratic National Change.