On 22 February 2012, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran joined 31 human rights organizations, including the Boroumand Foundation, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, in calling on the Syrian government to release prominent human rights defender Mazen Darwish and other detained activists. Mazen Darwish is the Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression.

The Campaign strongly condemns the Syrian government’s violent response to the popular protests of its people.

The text of the letter is below:

For immediate release                                                                22 February 2012

Syrian Authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mazen Darwish and other detained activists

The undersigned Organisations call on the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mazen Darwish, a prominent Syrian human rights defender and Director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) – an organization that enjoys UN ECOSOC consultative status -, as well as seven of his colleagues and a visitor, who were arrested on 16 February 2012 during a raid on their Damascus offices.

In total 16 people were arrested during the raid at SCM offices in Damascus, which  was carried out by officers from Air Force Intelligence (AFI) who were assisted by a group of plain-clothed armed men, according to a statement from the SCM. Seven people have been conditionally released and have to report to the detention centre every day for further interrogations.

SCM has played a key role in getting out information about daily developments in Syria as international journalists have only limited access to the country. Mazen Darwish has previously been repeatedly subjected to interrogation by Syrian security services regarding his human rights related activities, including his work with SCM. The arrest of Mazen Darwish and his co-workers is apparently related to their peaceful activities as human right defenders, bloggers and journalists.

“The raid on SCM offices and the detention of Mazen Darwish and his colleagues is a further attack by Syrian security services on Syrian human rights defenders and their rights to freedom of association and expression. This represents the latest attempt to silence those who have been witnessing, documenting and reporting on the ongoing gross human rights violations committed by the Syrian security forces in Syria,” said the Organisations.  “The Syrian authorities should immediately and unconditionally release these individuals”, the Organisations added.

Individuals following the case inside Syria reported that they believed the detainees are being held incommunicado at an AFI detention facility in El Mezze, Damascus. The use of torture and other ill treatment has been widespread and systematic in Syrian detention facilities, including in the facilities of the AFI.

“It is the responsibility of the Syrian authorities to protect Mazen Darwish and his colleagues from any form of ill-treatment or torture and to ensure that, as long as they remain in detention, their rights of access to lawyers, family members and independent medical personnel are fully guaranteed”, said the Organisations.

Abdorrahman Boroumand Foundation

Alkarama Foundation

Amnesty International

Arab Network for human rights information

Arab Working Group for Media Monitoring

ARTICLE 19: Global Campaign for Free Expression

Association For Women’s Rights in Development

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

Committee to Protect Journalists

Community Media network

Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies

Doha Centre for Media Freedom

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network

Free Press Unlimited

FRONT LINE DEFENDERS

Gulf Centre for Human Rights

Human Rights Watch

Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation – Hivos

IKV Pax Christi

Index on Censorship

International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

International Commission of Jurists

International Media Support

International Press Institute

Iran Human Rights Documentation Center

Iraqi Journalists’ Rights’ Defense association

Justice for Iran

Maharat Foundation

Observatory for the protection of Human Rights Defenders, joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)

Reporters Without Borders

Samir Kassir Foundation

Syrian Organization for Human Rights – Swasiah