We
received information that Syrian blogger Hussein Greer began a hunger strike to
protest his continued incarceration after spending 143 days in detention
cells as of the date of this statement.
Ghrer
was detained on 16-2-2012 in a raid on Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of
Expression’s office in Damascus by Air Force Intelligence – Mazzah branch. This is Ghrer's second arrest; he was detained
on 24-10-2011 and released on 1-12-2011 on bail and is still on trial.
Air
Force Intelligence had confiscated computers and arrested the entire staff of
the Syrian Center along with their visitors. Eight employees were released and
they are now under martial court on charges of "disseminating
banned publications." The other five staff members are still in detention:
director of the Syrian Center for Media and freedom of Expression, Mazen
Darwish, Hussein Ghrer, Abdel Rahman Hamada, Hani Zetani and Mansour Al-Omari.
We
learned that Abdel Rahman Hmada, Hani Zitani and Mansour Al- Omari were
transferred from Air Force Intelligence – Mazzah branch, to a detention
center belonging to the 4th Brigade of the Syrian Army. Our sources also
mentioned that Mazen Darwish was transferred from his cell in AFI – Mazzeh
Branch, but it is unknown if his transfer was to another branch or inside the
same one.
Syrian
blogger Hussein Ghrer, on the other hand, was transferred alone from AFI –
Mazzah to AFI in in Tahrir Square in Damascus, where he began a hunger
strike to protest his continued detention.
Ghrer is a
prominent Syrian blogger known for his noticeable participation in Syrian
blogsphere debates on public affairs. He took part in in solidarity
campaigns with occupied Palestine and the occupied Golan as well.
33
year-old Ghrer is a Computer Science graduate. He is married with two
children, Ward and Zain.
To
our great concern, Ghrer suffers from hypertensive vascular disease and mitral
valve prolapse. We fear a deterioration in his health condition in Syrian
detention cells, known for their poor environmental, psychological and physical
conditions. The detention centers’ environment and their lack of the necessary
medical equipment may pose a direct threat to his life.
We,
Syrian bloggers, demand the immediate and unconditional release of our
colleague in detention, blogger and friend Hussein Ghrer especially since more
than four months had passed without pressing charges against. His four-month
long detention far exceeds the maximum legal limits for incarceration without
court referral which is set to 60-days according to Syrian law.
We
also call for the release of Ghrer’s colleagues at the Syrian Center for
Media and Freedom of Expression and all detainees and prisoners being held at
security branches and civil and military prisons, especially those whose
detention has exceeded sixty days. We condemn all forms of torture
exercised by the Shabiha and security agents against the detainees and
prisoners in Syrian cells.
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