Open Letter to Syrian President Bashar El-Assad

Mr. President,


You recently publicly announced your decision to personally handle the Lebanese file, and it is in this quality that we address ourselves to you once again to share with you our serious concerns.

As you know, the particularly inhumane condition of the Lebanese detainees in Syria and that of their families is a major source of concern for human rights organizations and the entire international community, as evidenced by the European Parliament resolution of January 16, 2003.

Based on your own personal request, the Syrian Interior Minister, General Ali Hammoud, met with the families of the Lebanese detainees in Syria on July 22, 2002. You are therefore undoubtedly aware of the tragic situation of these individuals and their families, and we cannot imagine that you would be insensitive to it.

However, we have to admit that after properly meeting with the families of the detainees and promising them an answer to their plight within a period of two to three months, the Interior Minister has not followed through on his pledge, which has further compounded their pain already burdened by years of bad faith and indifference.

Today, in light of the fact that the Lebanese authorities refuse to query Syria on the subject of the detainees, we ask you to personally intervene in order to:

  1. Provide an unambiguous answer to all the families of Lebanese nationals extradited to Syrian territory.
  2. Release all individuals who are arbitrarily detained in Syria.
  3. Ensure that all detainees are afforded humane conditions during their incarceration in conformity with international norms. In particular the detainees should be allowed visitation rights by their families and lawyers, as well as all adequate medical care.

The SOLIDA movement (Support for Lebanese Detained Arbitrarily) has requested a meeting with the Syrian Embassy in France in order to communicate to embassy officials all pertinent information on this subject. SOLIDA genuinely hopes that the request for this meeting will be granted, and that you, Mr. President, will personally intervene on behalf of the Lebanese who are arbitrarily detained in Syria.

Respectfully Yours,

The SOLIDA movement (Support for Lebanese Detained Arbitrarily)
Paris, March 2, 2003