Western Kurdistan: Mr. Abdul-Hafiz Abdul al-Rahman, born 1 August 1965, [father Abdul Rahim, mother Khadijah] from al-Ashrafieh in Aleppo, was arrested on 2 March 2010 by military security forces in Aleppo. We believe that this is due to his human rights activities. His whereabouts are unknown, and we are concerned that he is likely to be subjected to torture at the hands of the Syrian authorities.
Abdul-Hafiz Abdul al-Rahman is an ill man. He has chronic eczema, anaemia, rheumatism, sensitivity in his eyes, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney pain for which he needs clean water, and Meniers Disease, and a sickness in his stomach. He has been dependent on medication and we are concerned that he will not have access to the appropriate treatments in detention. Our concern arises from the knowledge that political detainees often are not given medicines for their illnesses in prison, which adds to the degrading treatment they suffer and can shorten their life expectancy. No-one has been allowed to see him and so there remains significant suspicion that he is not being cared for appropriately.
Abdul-Hafiz Abdul al-Rahman is a respected authority in relation to international human rights, and is invited to coach others in these matters; a Member of the Arabic Network for Election Monitoring; a Member of the Board of Trustees of the Human Rights Organization in Syria – MAF; He is not attached to any political party. He is a Kurdish linguist, a writer and a journalist, and has contributed to the magazine editor ‘Steer’ (translates as ‘Star’) with Zagros Hajo, and Razo Osseh. He contributes with Siamand Ibrahim and Abdul Salam Dari in publishing the magazine ‘Aso’ (translates as ‘Horizon’).
The authorities have confiscated: his library of books, manuscripts, his poetry, and translations. Pamphlets regarding the dissemination of a culture of human rights; and copies of the international conventions signed by the Syrian Arab Republic were also taken. He was the author of a tutorial for Kurdish language for beginners which were taken, together with two other tutorials that he has written; along with his computer hard drive in a raid on his home by an armed patrol in front of his young children and guests. He was a member of the team that monitored the Kurdistan election and he was expected to monitor the Iraqi elections in 2010, but his home was raided and he was detained before the elections took place.
International Support Kurds in Syria – SKS call on the UK and other European Governments to make representations to the Syrian Government on behalf of Abdul-Hafiz Abdul al-Rahman as a human rights activist, to affect his release. He was last known to be in Military Security detention in Aleppo. We also call on these Governments to record the treatment he has received for his medical conditions, whilst in detention. The Syrian Government is accountable for its detention and treatment of human rights activists under the following international treaties (quote from the Syrian Report to the UN Committee on Torture 2009 http://supportkurds.org/reports/no-torture-and-other-cruel-or-degrading-treatment-or-punishment-in-syria):
‘3. International treaties
38. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic is a party to a large number of international treaties and instruments which are concerned with respect for human dignity and fundamental rights and with strengthened compliance with related obligations. These treaties and instruments include:
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 16 December 1966
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 16 December 1966
The International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination of 31 December 1965
The International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid of 30 November 1973
The International Convention against Apartheid in Sports of 10 December 1985
The International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948
The Convention on the Rights of the Child of 30 November 1989
The Slavery Convention of 1926 and the Protocol of 1953 amending the Slavery Convention
The Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery of 7 September 1956
The Four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions (Protocol I) of 1977
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women[2]
The Protocol Amending the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children, concluded in Geneva on 3 September 1921
The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women of Full Age of 11 October 1933
The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime of 14 December 2000[3]
The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime of 2000[4]
The Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime of 2000[5]
The Arab Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism of 22 April 1998
The Convention of the Organization of the Islamic Conference on Combating International Terrorism of 1999
The Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials, signed at New York on 22 November 1950
The Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, signed at Paris on 14 November 1970
The International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families of 18 December 1990[6]
The International Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 9 December 1948
The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women and Children, concluded at Geneva on 30 September 1921, and the Protocol amending the Convention signed in New York on 12 November 1947
The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others and the Final Protocol, New York, 21 March 1950
The Protocol on the Suppression and Punishment of Trafficking in Women and Children, concluded at Geneva on 3 September 1921
The Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Women of Full Age, concluded at Geneva on 11 October 1933
The Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
The International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries of 4 December 1989′.
They must be held to account for their treatment of Abdul-Hafiz Abdul al-Rahman.
**We ask the UK and European Governments to consider their responses to Syria, in the light of the reports from Human Rights Watch regarding the growth of repression in Syria at the same time as Europe is opening the door to the regime.
http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2009/11/26/group-denial
http://supportkurds.org/reports/syria-repression-grows-as-europe-us-avoid-discussing-rights
Previous reports:
http://supportkurds.org/news/urgent-action-syrian-kurdish-human-rights-activist-detained
http://supportkurds.org/news/arbitrary-arrest-of-mr-abdul-hafiez-abdul-rahman-and-ms-nadira-abdu
…………………….
Co-Chair: International Support Kurds in Syria Association [SKS]
Web: www.supportkurds.org
Email: info@supportkurds.org
Email: sksassociation@yahoo.co.uk