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'AREF DALILAH                                                            <<back
aref alilah

Dr. ‘Aref Dalilah, the former Dean of the Faculty of Economics of Aleppo University in Syria and a founding member of the Preparatory Committees of the Civil Society Forum, was arrested in Damascus, on September 9, 2001. A peaceful supporter of political and economic reforms, he had been dismissed from his post as Dean of Economic Faculty, reportedly due to his outspoken views against corruption and his calls for granting freedom of expression to complement economic reform. He was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on charges of “attempting to change the constitution by illegal means.” Serious concerns have been raised about Dr. Dalilah’s health, including heart problems, but prison authorities have restricted his access to medical care. Send individual letters of appeal to the individuals listed below, with copies to diplomatic representatives of Syria accredited to your country:

Addresses

His Excellency Bashar al-Assad
President
Presidential Palace
Abu Rummaneh
al-Rashid Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: + 963 11 332 3410

His Excellency General Ghazi Kan'an
Minister of Interior
Ministry of Interior
Merjeh Circle
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax + 963 11 222 3428
Email: admin@civilaffair-moi.gov.sy

His Excellency Dr Maher al-Husami
Minister of Health
Ministry of Health
Majlis ash-Sha’b
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: + 963 11 331 1114
Email: health_min@net.sy

His Excellency Muhammad al-Ghafari
Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice
Al-Nasr Street
Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic
Fax: + 963 11 222 3428

  

Sample Letter

I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the ongoing detention of 'Aref Dalilah, former dean of the faculty of Economics of Aleppo University.

Mr. Dalilah was sentenced by the Supreme State Security Court On 31th of September 2002 to 10 years in prison and hard labor, following proceedings that fell short of international standards for fair trial. The charges against him were « incitement to armed struggle » and « attempt to change illegally the Constitution ». Mr .Aref Dalilah has begun his seventh year of imprisonment and, since 2002, his health has been deteriorating each day.

Mr. Dalilah has been suffering serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and irregular heartbeat, for a long time. Due to the harsh conditions of detention, Mr. Aref Dalilah’s health has gone from bad to worse and today his health is deteriorating even more rapidly.

The authorities have reportedly always denied the possibility for Mr. Dalilah to receive medical treatment and heart surgery outside of prison. After several years spent in solitary confinement, his mental health has also been affected.

I respectfully await your response to this matter of great importance.

Sincerely,

 
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