Syrian blogger and activist Hussein Ghrer was transferred today Thursday, November 17, 2011 from the general security headquarters-branch 285-to the civil court in Damascus. He was brought before the public prosecuters in Damascus then transfered to the Zablatani branch.
However office hours ended before Ghrer’s questioning session began, as a result he was transferred to Central Prison in Adra. Now he is awaiting his trial scheduled on Saturday 19/11/2011.
Many human rights and free speech organizations have called on to free the detained Syrian blogger who was detained 24/10/2011 for unknown reasons.
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression stresses the need to guarantee Hussein Ghrer a public and fair trial as stated in Syrian constitution and again urges immediate release of all detainees.
11/01/2011
GVA: Syria: Prominent Blogger Disappears in Damascus
Syrian blogger Hussein Ghrer left his home in Damascus on Monday, October 24, and has not come back. He is a thirty-year-old married father of two and has blogged and participated in numerous solidarity campaigns for Palestine, as well as the blogger campaign against the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, and campaigns for solidarity with victims of honor crimes.
The most recent post on Ghrer's blog focuses on the arrest earlier this year of now-released Syrian blogger Anas Maarawi in the context of freedom in Syria. The post includes references to the situation bloggers face in the country:كمدونين لا نملك غير قلمنا لنعبر عن جزء يسير جداً مما يعتمل في قلوبنا من خوف على الوطن من هذا الوحش الذي يسمى فساداً والمحمي بقوة القانون الأمني الذي لا يعلوا فوقه قانون
“As bloggers, we have nothing but our writing to express a very little part of what hurts us so much. Our hearts ache in front of this monster that's called corruption, protected by the force of security law, which is above any other law in this country.”
Activists have put together a Facebook campaign calling for his release and a blog in which they call for Syrian authorities to disclose information about Ghrer and release those detained in violation of the law and human rights (full statement in English here):We demand the immediate disclosure of the fate of our friend and fellow blogger Hussein Ghrer and the release of all prisoners of conscience, since their detention is against the law and universal human rights. We also demand the end of persecution against freedom of speech, because blind force, no matter how strong it is, will stay blind, and will stumble until it falls for good.
Bloggers from all over the world have already joined the campaign, which is growing rapidly fueled by the buzz created over twitter:
Omniya: Hussein could be you , could be me. could be anyone walking down the street . # FreeHussein #Syria
Amid the Syrian government's crackdown against all forms of opposition, Ghrer's words on his latest post seem now more meaningful than ever:
Read more here.Silence doesn't serve us after today. We don't want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words.
NOW Lebanon on Hussein
“Note to intelligence and security forces: If you don’t like what I’m saying and you want to arrest me, send me a message and I’ll give you my full address so we can finish this according to your way.”
Those were the last words written by prominent Syrian blogger Hussein Ghrer in a post on his blog dated July 10, 2011.
Activists have now launched a campaign on Facebook demanding authorities disclose information on Ghrer’s whereabouts after he went missing earlier this week. The blogger reportedly left his home in Damascus on Monday and never returned.
“We demand the immediate disclosure of the fate of our friend and fellow blogger Hussein Ghrer and the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience, since their detention is against the law and universal human rights. We also demand the end of persecution against freedom of speech, because blind force, no matter how strong it is, will stay blind, and will stumble until it falls for good,” the campaign to free Ghrer said in a statement posted online.
The 30-year-old blogger is said to be married with two children. According to activists, he’s participated in several Palestinian solidarity campaigns and blogged about the July 2006 War in Lebanon.
Ghrer’s last post focused on the arrest of Syrian blogger Anas Maarawi, who has since been released.
“As bloggers, we have nothing but our writing to express a very little part of what hurts us so much. Our hearts ache in front of this monster that´s called corruption, protected by the force of security law, which is above any other law in this country,” he wrote.
“Silence doesn´t serve us after today. We don´t want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words.”
Follow the hashtag #FreeHussein on Twitter.
Committee to Protect Journalists' News Alert Mentions Detained Syrian Blogger Hussein Ghrer
New York, October 31, 2011--The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the continued disappearance of Syrian journalists and bloggers.
Journalist Lina Saleh Ibrahim, 31, has been missing for six days. She was last seen leaving her home in the Damascus suburb of Harasta on Tuesday, a friend, who did not want to be named for fear of retribution, told CPJ and local news outlets reported. Ibrahim is a business reporter for the state-owned daily Tishreen.
Wael Yousef Abaza also disappeared on October 25 in Damascus, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression reported. Abaza is a freelance journalist who writes for several newspapers and Arabic news websites.
CPJ was unable to obtain information on either journalist's whereabouts or condition. Both journalists' families reported their respective disappearances to Syrian authorities but they have not responded, local journalists told CPJ.
Hussein Ghrer, a prominent blogger, disappeared after leaving his home one day earlier, on October 24, according to local and regional press freedom groups and bloggers. The circumstances of his arrest, his condition, and his whereabouts are unknown, according to the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression.
A few days before his disappearance, Ghrer wrote on his blog, "Silence doesn't serve us after today. We don't want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words." The blog features news about detained bloggers in Syria, the ongoing revolution, and Israel's occupation of Palestinian and Syrian territories, among other topics.
CPJ believes Ibrahim, Abaza, and Ghrer to be in state custody, although it has not been able to independently confirm their detention. An undetermined number of journalists have been detained by authorities since mass unrest erupted across Syria in March; many remain in custody.
"We are concerned for the safety of Lina Ibrahim, Wael Abaza, and Hussein Ghrer and other journalists who we believe to be in the custody of Syrian authorities," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "The government must immediately clarify whether it is holding these journalists, and if so, why."
Security forces detained Omar al-Assad, Rudy Othman, and Hanadi Zahlout, all freelance journalists, on August 4 as they attended a Damascus protest. They have not been heard from since. CPJ could not determine whether the three journalists were covering or participating in the protests, due to a media blackout and the unwillingness of most citizens and journalists to discuss matters of a sensitive political nature. Amer Matar was also arrested on September 3 in Damascus, CPJ reported.
All four journalists remain in detention without charge. Several other journalists have either disappeared or have been detained by security forces without further news of their alleged crimes, whereabouts, or condition. CPJ continues to investigate several of these cases.
The Guardian on the Detention of Friend and Fellow Syrian Blogger Hussein Ghrer
Business reporter Lina Saleh Ibrahim is the latest Syrian journalist to go missing.
The 31-year-old who works for the state-owned daily newspaper Tishreen has been missing for seven days. She was last seen leaving her Damascus home on 25 October.
On the same day, Wael Yousef Abaza - a freelancer who writes for several newspapers and Arabic news websites - was also reported to have disappeared in Damascus.
Their families have reported their disappearances to Syrian authorities but have not had a response.
Similarly, there is no information about Hussein Ghrer, a prominent blogger who vanished after leaving his home on 24 October.
A few days before, Ghrer wrote on his blog: "Silence doesn't serve us after today. We don't want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words."
The New York-based press freedom watchdog, the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) believes Ibrahim, Abaza and Ghrer are in state custody, but it has not been able to confirm their detention.
Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator, said: "The government must immediately clarify whether it is holding these journalists, and if so, why."
Several journalists have been detained by authorities since unrest erupted across Syria in March, and many remain in custody.
Three freelancers - Omar al-Assad, Rudy Othman and Hanadi Zahlout - were arrested on 4 August and have not been heard from since. A fourth, Amer Matar, was arrested on 3 September in Damascus.
All four remain in detention without charge.
Source: CPJ
Democracy Now Mentions Hussein Ghrer's Detention - Novermber 1st
The Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed alarm over the continued disappearance of Syrian journalists and bloggers. At least three journalists and bloggers have disappeared since October 24. Three other journalists were detained on August 4 and have not been heard from since. The blogger Hussein Ghrer disappeared on October 24. Days before his disappearance, he wrote on his blog: "Silence doesn’t serve us after today. We don’t want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words."
Watch the video here.
Lebanese Daily Star on Detained Syrian Blogger Hussein Ghrer
BEIRUT: Rights groups are raising the alarm over the continued disappearance of journalists in Syria.
The Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York based organization, Tuesday issued a statement saying that three new reporters have disappeared.
The latest is journalist Lina Saleh Ibrahim, 31, was last seen leaving her home in the Damascus suburb of Harasta on Tuesday. Ibrahim is a business reporter for the state-owned daily Tishreen.
Freelance reporter Wael Yousef Abaza also disappeared on Oct. 25 in Damascus, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression reported on Sunday.
Both journalists' families reported their respective disappearances to Syrian authorities but they have not responded, local journalists told CPJ.
Blogger Hussein Ghrer disappeared after leaving his home one day earlier, on Oct. 24, according to local and regional press freedom groups and bloggers.
Dozens of journalists and bloggers have been detained, arrested or have gone missing since the start of the country’s seven-month-old uprising, and most foreign journalists have been expelled or banned. Those that are able to work do so under strict government control.
“We’ve seen this pattern from the beginning,” said Nadim Houry, the Syria and Lebanon researcher for Human Rights Watch. “Journalists, bloggers or anyone who tries to spread information about what’s going on in Syria puts themselves at risk.”
Kinda Kanbar, co-founder of Syria Today, an independent English language magazine, where Ibrahim has been a contributor, said the development is particularly concerning because now journalists without ties to the opposition are being arrested.
“It is very dangerous development that journalists are disappearing without knowing who is arresting them,” Kanbar told the Daily Star. “And now they are starting to crack down on Syrian [journalists] that are not known to be close to the opposition.”
She added that “the Syrian regime human rights violations have gone way, way out of hand and everyone who is not with the regime or disagree with the regime is in danger – not only journalists.”
Several days before his disappearance, Ghrer wrote on his blog, "Silence doesn't serve us after today. We don't want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words." The blog includes news about activists detained in Syria.
"We are concerned for the safety of Lina Ibrahim, Wael Abaza, and Hussein Ghrer and other journalists who we believe to be in the custody of Syrian authorities," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "The government must immediately clarify whether it is holding these journalists, and if so, why."
On their website the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders has the names of 20 journalists that remain detained, imprisoned or missing, but they say the list is “almost certainly incomplete.”
Government censorship and control of the media has been routine in Syria under ever since the country’s ruling Baath Party came to power in 1963. But as citizens have taken to the streets to demand freedom, some journalists have become emboldened to test the limits of free speech, often at their own peril.
In August, renowned political cartoonist Ali Farzat was severed beaten by masked gunmen, who broke his hand, days after the artist drew a caricature of President Bashar Assad hitching a ride with Moammar Gadhafi. Activists said the attack showed the government was losing control.
AFP on Hussein Ghrer
NEW YORK — The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says it fears for several journalists and bloggers in Syria who have vanished, with no response from authorities as to their fate.
"We are concerned for the safety of Lina Ibrahim, Wael Abaza and Hussein Ghrer and other journalists who we believe to be in the custody of Syrian authorities," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, the committee's Middle East and North Africa programme coordinator.
"The government must immediately clarify whether it is holding these journalists, and if so, why."
In a statement on Monday, the CPJ said Lina Ibrahim, a 31-year-old business reporter for the state-owned daily Tishreen, had been missing for six days. A friend, who feared to be named, told CPJ Ibrahim was last seen leaving her home in the Harasta suburb of Damascus last Tuesday.
Freelance journalist Wael Yusef Abaza also disappeared on October 25 in Damascus, the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression reported. Abaza writes for several newspapers and Arabic news websites.
Families of both journalists had reported their disappearances to the authorities, who have not responded.
One day earlier, Hussein Ghrer, a prominent blogger, disappeared after leaving his home on October 24, say local and regional press freedom groups. The circumstances of his arrest, his condition and his whereabouts are unknown, according to the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression.
Shortly before he disappeared, Ghrer wrote on his blog: "Silence doesn't serve us after today. We don't want a country where we get imprisoned for uttering a word. We want a country that embraces and welcomes words."
CPJ believes Ibrahim, Abaza, and Ghrer to be in state custody, although it has not been able to independently confirm their detention.
Security forces detained Omar al-Assad, Rudy Othman and Hanadi Zahlout, all freelance journalists, on August 4 as they attended a Damascus protest. They have not been heard from since.
Another arrest, that of Amer Matar, took place on September 3 in Damascus, CPJ reported. All four journalists remain in detention without charge.
An undetermined number of journalists have been detained by authorities since mass unrest erupted across Syria in March. Many remain in custody.
10/26/2011
Syrian Bloggers' Statement on the Detention of their Fellow Blogger and Friend Hussein Ghrer
Hussein is 30 years old, he is married and has two kids. He participated in several campaigns in solidarity with our Palestinian brothers during the Zionist invasion of Gaza and blogged about the war against Lebanon in 2006. He was well-known for his work with the “Syrian bloggers for the occupied Gholan” and for his solidarity with the victims of “Honor crimes” in the country.
Fear of freedom and hatred against all liberties are responsible for Hussein´s detention. Words are Hussein´s weapons, and ours too. We want these weapons to break the silence. We command you to raise your voice for Hussein´s freedom and all prisoners of conscience in Syrian cells.
We demand the immediate disclosure of the fate of our friend and fellow blogger Hussein Ghrer and the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience, since their detention is against the law and universal human rights. We also demand the end of persecution against freedom of speech, because blind force, no matter how strong it is, will stay blind, and will stumble until it falls for good.
10/25/2011
بيان المدونين السوريين حول اعتقال زميلهم وصديقهم حسين غرير
"لم يعد الصمت ينفع بعد اليوم، لا نريد وطناً نسجن فيه لقول كلمة، بل وطناً يتسع لكل الكلمات"
هذه الكلمات هي آخر ما طالب به المدون السوري حسين غرير على مدونته, وها نحن اليوم ندوّن بأسى خبر اعتقال زميلنا حسين، من دون معرفة أسباب الاعتقال أو المكان الذي تم اقتياده إليه.
حسين، ذو الثلاثين ربيعاُ، متزوج وأب لطفلين، شارك في العديد من حملات التضامن مع الإخوة الفلسطينيين في حرب الكيان الصهيوني على غزة، ودوّن عن حرب الكيان ضد لبنان في 2006، كما كان من البارزين في تنظيم حملة "مدونون سوريون من أجل الجولان المحتل"، ومن المشاركين الفعّالين في حملة اليوم العالمي للتضامن مع ضحايا جرائم الشرف.
رُهاب الحرّية والكره العميق للأحرار هو ما يجعلهم يعتقلون حسين. فالكلمة هي سلاح حسين وسلاحنا، ونريدها أن تكون سلاح جميع أنصار الصرخة مقابل الصمت. ندعوكم لرفع الكلمة وإعلاء الصوت من أجل حرّية حسين غرير وحرّية جميع معتقلي الرأي وأسرى الضمير في زنزانات سوريا.
نطالب السلطات السوريّة بالكشف عن مصير حسين وجميع أصدقائنا، عرفناهم شخصياً أم ﻻ، من أسرى الرأي والإفراج الفوري عنهم لما في اعتقالهم من اعتداءٍ على المنطق ومخالفةٍ لمنطلقات حقوق الإنسان، ونطالب أيضاً بوقف اﻻستقواء المخزي على أصحاب الرأي والكلمة. فالقوّة العمياء، مهما كبر حجمها، تبقى عمياء: تتعثر بنفسها وتسقط.
عشتم وعاشت سوريا.
مدونة حسين غرير
صفحة الحرية لحسين على الفيس بوك
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)