Man Missing One Month After Responding to Military Intelligence Summons
(New York, August 31, 2007) – The Syrian authorities should reveal the fate of
Ali al-Barazi, a translator who has been missing for the past month after being
summoned by Military Intelligence, Human Rights Watch said today.
We’re concerned that government forces may have ‘disappeared’ Ali al-Barazi.
This is an extremely serious crime under international law, and we hold the
government fully responsible for his well-being and safe return to his family.
Joe Stork, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division at Human
Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch letter to President Bashar al-Asad on Ali al-Barazi
In a letter sent on August 27 to President Bashar al-Asad, Human Rights Watch
requested information on the whereabouts and well-being of al-Barazi, a
45-year-old resident of Jdaydet `Artuz, a Damascus suburb. Military Intelligence
called him in for questioning on July 28, 2007. Neither his family nor his
friends and associates have seen or heard from him since then. Al-Barazi’s
family does not know why he was called in for questioning. In response to family
members’ inquiries, Military Intelligence has told them that al-Barazi is not in
their custody.
“We’re concerned that government forces may have ‘disappeared’ Ali al-Barazi,”
said Joe Stork, deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa division at
Human Rights Watch. “This is an extremely serious crime under international law,
and we hold the government fully responsible for his well-being and safe return
to his family.”
Human Rights Watch said that the government should release al-Barazi immediately
unless there is evidence that he has committed a criminal offense. In that case,
the authorities should refer him to the prosecutor and accord him his due
process rights, including immediate access to a lawyer, a medical examination,
and a hearing before a competent, independent judicial authority to determine
the lawfulness of his continued detention.
Al-Barazi works as a translator at the Syrian European Documentation Center (SEDC),
a Damascus-based private company. Among other clients, SEDC translates documents
produced by Human Rights Watch into Arabic for publication on its
Arabic-language website. SEDC does not translate work produced by
Human Rights Watch on Syria.
Human Rights Watch
