New arrests of communist activists in Syria

The Syrian regime has been systematically harassing Communist activists. Here we publish an appeal against the latest arrests. Please send in solidarity messages and protest messages to the Syrian authorities. We provide a model letter and details of local Syrian embassies.

The Syrian regime continues the persecution against activists or supposed activists of the Communist Labor Party. The Syrian regime has the habit of arresting women and taking them away from their families. This is nothing new. The treatment that the women undergo is inhuman. It uses various forms of abuse. They are denied basic human rights. They are molested, to punish them, and are pressed to stop their political activities. Such treatment is in accordance with an Emergency Law in use in Syria since 1963.

On February 7, 2010 a political activist was arrested by the secret police. Her name is Tu Hama Marouf. She is a member of the Communist Labor Party. The reason for her arrest is unclear. She was arrested in the city of Aleppo. Mother of two children, it is not the first time she has been arrested. On 30 December 1992 she was already detained and then released in March 1993. The motives for her arrests were political as she was a member of the same party, the Communist Labor Party (CLP).

On 10^th February another member of the CLP, Raghda Al Hasan was arrested at the Lebanese border. The secret police thoroughly searched her house located in the city of Tartous and then confiscated it. Previously, from 1993 to 1995, she was also locked up for the same political reasons. The prisoners must undergo a treatment that shows no respect for any human law or their health. We are very concerned about their mental and physical condition. We condemn these arrests and demand that the Syrian regime release them immediately, stop all political trials and repeal the 1963 Emergency Law. We hereby appeal to international human rights.

The Syrian regime has recently arrested 2,500 people for the sole reason that they are members of the Communist Labor Party. Of these 125 persons are women.

We demand freedom for our party members Tu Hama Marouf and Raghda Al Hasan.

We also demand freedom for 5 members of our party who have been arrested since 21^st May 2009. Their names are Hasan Zahrah, Abas Abas, Ahmed ELnYhawy, Tawfik Oumraan, Gassan Hasan.

Please send in solidarity messages to editor@marxist.,com and protest messages to the Syrian authorities. Here you can find details of your nearest local Syrian embassy here. By clicking on the website of your local Embassy you can find ways of writing to the Syrian authorities via their “Contact us” button.

Model Letter:

To the Ambassador of Syrian Arab Republic,

Dear Sir,

It has been brought to our attention that your government systematically harasses left-wing activists in your country. Among these we know there are women with children, who have been removed from their families and brutally treated. The latest cases that have been brought to our attention are: Tu Hama Marouf and Raghda Al Hasan. We also demand freedom for five other activists who have been held under arrest since 21^st May 2009. Their names are Hasan Zahrah, Abas Abas, Ahmed ELnYhawy, Tawfik Oumraan, Gassan Hasan.

We are raising this issue inside the labour movement organisation, trade unions and parties, in our countries and will not cease to do so until all the arrested activists have been released.

We ask you to intervene with your government and demand that basic human rights are guaranteed in your country.

Yours,

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