QAMISHLI, Western Kurdistan, — Menal Ibrahim, born 1981, a Kurdish woman from Qamishli was arrested on 15 October 2009 in Aleppo when a patrol of a political state security forces stormed a Kurdish house and arrested her. She is a member of the Sittar Federation Women’s organisation.
According to Syrian Committee for Human Rights – MAD, on 26 October 2010, the Military Criminal Court in Aleppo sentenced Menal in case no. 871 of 2010 to two years imprisonment in accordance with Articles 267, 278 and 288 of the Syrian Penal Code.
Article 267:
1. Any Syrian who acts, speaks, writes texts or undertakes or tries to undertake similar actions with the purpose of partitioning off a portion of Syrian territory in order to annex it to a foreign state or to provide a foreign state with rights to which the Syrian state alone is entitled, will be punished with a sentence of no less than five years in prison.
2. If, at the time of the deed, the perpetrator belongs to one of the associations or organizations mentioned in Articles 288 and 307, he will be punished with life imprisonment.
Article 278:
The following people will be punished with a fixed-term of imprisonment:
a) – anyone who violates state provisions to ensure neutrality in the event of war;
b) – anyone who, without the approval of the government, commits acts, writes texts, or holds speeches that put Syria at risk of hostilities, strain Syria’s relations to another state, or expose Syrians to acts of revenge against themselves or their financial assets.
Article 288:
1. Anyone who joins a political or social association of an international character or any similar organization without authorization by the Syrian government will be punished with imprisonment or house arrest for between three months and three years, and fined between 100 and 250 liras.
2. Anyone in the organization in question who carries out a practical task will be punished with imprisonment or house arrest for a minimum of one year and fined at least 100 liras.