Far From Justice - Human Rights Watch

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228Jamal Nabà binHassanUnknown 25-Jul-2006 29-Jun-2008 Art. 265 20 yearsfrom Lebanon229Khalid al-Àqla binArts. 285,Unknown 27-Sep-2005 30 -Jun-2008Àbd al-Rahman3066 years230 Ahmad al-Khaled Unknown 8-Sep-2005 30 -Jun-2008Arts. 285,3066 years231 Ahmad al-Merì Unknown 12-Sep-2005 30 -Jun-2008 Art. 306 5 years232 Khaled al-Khaled Unknown 8-Sep-2005 30 -Jun-2008 Art. 306 5 years233 Qasem al-Khalid Unknown 12-Sep-2005 30 -Jun-2008 Art. 306 5 years234 Salah Susaq Rankus 12-Apr-2007 30 -Jun-2008 Art. 306 3 years235Muhammad ÀdnanBakurUnknown 5-Mar-2006 23-Jun-2006 Unknown 7 years236Yusif al-Turk b. b.1984Unknown 7-Mar-2006 23-Jun-2006 Unknown 6 years237Àtif Rashedb. 1984Unknown 7-Mar-2006 23-Jun-2006 Unknown 5 years73 Human Rights Watch February 2009
H UMAN R I G H TS WATCH350 Fifth Avenue, 34 th FloorNew York, NY 10118-3299www.hrw.orgH U M A NR I G H T SW A T C HFar From JusticeSyria’s Supreme State Security CourtForty years after its creation, the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) remains one of the main pillars ofrepression in Syria. An offspring of Syria’s state of emergency, this special court exists outside the ordinarycriminal justice system and is used to prosecute those who fall foul of the Syrian authorities in trials that lackbasic due process guarantees. It must be abolished.Amongst those recently tried by the SSSC are bloggers who posted articles critical of the authorities, Kurdishactivists demanding increased cultural recognition, members of the Muslim Brotherhood who returned from exileto Syria, suspected Salafis detained in possession of controversial books, and even ordinary Syrians accused of“insulting the Syrian president” in private conversations.This report documents in detail how the SSSC has violated the basic rights of these defendants. It is based on anextensive review of trial notes taken by Western diplomats who are the only outside observers to have access tothe court, as well as interviews with former defendants before the SSSC, their lawyers and Syrian human rightsactivists. In total, Human Rights Watch compiled information on 237 cases, representing all of those known tohave been decided by the SSSC between January 2007 and June 2008.The evidence paints a bleak picture. The SSSC sentenced a vast majority of defendants on the basis of vague andoverbroad charges, such as “spreading false or exaggerated information that weakens national sentiment,” thatcriminalize freedom of expression and association. The court denied the defendants the right properly to defendthemselves. Defendants frequently alleged that Syrian security services tortured them to extract their confessionswithout the court taking any steps to investigate the allegations or reject the confessions. Defense lawyers playeda minimal role; they usually saw their clients for the first time on the actual day of the trial and the court deniedthem the opportunity to engage in oral defense or call on witnesses. The decisions of the SSSC cannot beappealed to a higher tribunal.The Syrian authorities have demonstrated no commitment to end the use of SSSC as a tool of repression. Theinternational community, in particular, the European Union and its member states, need to play a stronger role inurging Syria to abolish this unjust court.Syrian riot police officers stand guard as amother carries a placard demanding the releaseof her son from jail in front of the State SecurityCourt on April 24, 2005 in Damascus, Syria.© Ghaith Abdul-Ahad/Getty Images
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SyriaFar From JusticeSyria’s Supr
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Copyright © 2009 Human Rights Watc
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I. SummaryIt is not really a judici
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denies lawyers the opportunity to e
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elonging to groups planning terrori
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The Syrian authorities have demonst
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conducted interviews with them over
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The decisions of the SSSC cannot be
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With the exception of a few cases,
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of a court session when the detaine
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silent, and only the judge and mukh
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parties other than the ruling Baàt
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In subsequent years, the SSSC has r
Page 28 and 29: possession of CD's, booklets etc. o
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Page 32 and 33: IV. The SSSC’s Recent Activities:
Page 34 and 35: November 4, 2007November 11, 2007No
Page 36 and 37: A third detainee sentenced by the S
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Page 46 and 47: democracy.” 138 The sentencing wa
Page 48 and 49: state’s laws are not criminals. A
Page 50 and 51: After signing, they took us to Àdr
Page 52 and 53: “belonging to a secret organizati
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Page 58 and 59: With respect to the legal system•
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Page 62 and 63: IX. AppendicesAnnex I - List of Jud
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Page 76 and 77: 196197Jamà bin Hussain al-ShahadaY
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Far From Justice - Human Rights Watch

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