Alkarama Foundation

Syria: Rights Activists Face Terrorism Charges ــــــ Free Award-Winning Journalist, Colleagues

Alkarama, 17 May 2013

(Amsterdam, Beirut, Cairo, Copenhagen, Damascus, Dublin, Geneva, London, New York, Paris, The Hague, Utrecht - May 17, 2013)

The international community should urge the Syrian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release and drop all charges against a freedom of expression activist and two of his colleagues, 19 regional and international human rights organizations said today. Mazen Darwish and two of his colleagues from the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM), Hussein Gharir and Hani Zaitani, are facing trial on terrorism charges for their peaceful activism, the groups said.

Syria: UN General Assembly calling for the release of Mazen Darwish and colleagues

Alkarama, 16 May 2013

Yesterday, the United Nations General Assembly adopted its latest resolution on the situation in Syria despite strong opposition from Russia and an increase in abstentions. Alongside a number of other recommendations, the resolution calls for the release of Syrian human rights defenders Mazen Darwish and his colleagues from the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM).

Lebanon: Two weeks of hunger strike for Mr. Tarek Rabaa

Alkarama, 15 May 2013

Human rights organizations demand his immediate release

Mr. Tarek Rabaa has been on hunger strike for 2 weeks. The undersigned organizations demand his immediate release pending trial, which would effectively end the excessive period of pre-trial detention for which he has been held. Furthermore, we are extremely concerned by the continuation of his trial in front of the military court as well as by the lack of investigation into the alleged torture he might have been subjected to, and that our organizations raised in a press release in 2011.

25th anniversary of the UN Committee against Torture

Alkarama, 07 May 2013

Time for universal rejection of torture!

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the UN Committee against Torture, the guardian of one of the most widely accepted international human rights conventions. In a campaign for universal ratification of the Convention against Torture, several leading human rights organisations now call on the remaining 42 countries to join the treaty and recognize the full competence of the Committee against Torture.

Mauritania : First review by the UN Committee against Torture after 7 year-delay

Alkarama, 01 May 2013

On 8 and 10 May 2013, Mauritania will be reviewed for the first time by the UN Committee against torture in Geneva during its 50th session. The state party finally submitted its national report in January 2012 following a seven-year delay. The review is aimed at assessing the implementation of the Convention against Torture in the country. In this framework, Alkarama submitted an alternative report which presents an overview on the practice of torture in the country. We also will meet with the UN Committee before the beginning of the review to brief them about our main concerns in this matter.

Syria: Disappeared activist at risk of death

Alkarama, 01 May 2013

Ahmad Bakdones, a 30 year-old peaceful Syrian activist, was arrested on 19 May 2012 by agents from the General Intelligence services and brought to Damascus Central Prison. Between 20 October and the second half of December 2012, his relatives were able to visit him several times and noted that he was in very bad health due to the severe torture he was being subjected to. Mr Bakdones' family learned in early April 2013 through informal channels that he may have been transferred to Sednaya Prison, notorious for the severe torture and numerous suspicious deaths of prisoners. However, Mr Bakdones' transfer has not been officially confirmed and Alkarama fears for his life as he is at high risk of torture during his enforced disappearance.

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