US embassy cable - 05DAMASCUS6136

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 006136 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PARIS FOR ZEYA, LONDON FOR TSOU 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/22/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PHUM, SY, HRCS 
SUBJECT: SPONTANEOUS DEMONSTRATION AT STATE SECURITY COURT; 
TRIAL OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST RASTANAWI BEGINS 
 
 
Classified By: CDA Stephen Seche for reasons 1.4(b)/(d) 
 
1.  (C) COURT SCUFFLE RESULTS IN BRIEF DETENTION: SARG 
security forces detained approximately 12 men who had 
participated in a spontaneous demonstration in front of the 
State Security Court on November 13, following a hearing for 
approximately 13 men who have been held on Islamist charges 
for more than a year.  According to human-rights lawyer Rezan 
Zeituni, who was present at the incident, an elderly family 
member of one of the detainees sat in front of the security 
transport truck returning the detainees to prison, refusing 
to move and shouting that he had not seen his son in over a 
year.  Zeituni said that approximately 200 people present 
(mainly family members and civil society activists) began 
shouting "damn the system, down with the government, down 
with the President," and also called for the end of the 
exceptional courts and more freedom.  Security officials 
began beating the protesters and detained 12 male protesters, 
including Mohammed Ali al-Abdullah, son of recently released 
Atassi Forum member Ali al-Abdullah, for about two hours at a 
local police station.  Zeituni reported that one protester 
had been re-detained on November 14 by Air Force security 
officials. 
 
2.  (C)  HUMAN-RIGHTS ACTIVIST APPEARS LAWYERLESS AT STATE 
SECURITY COURT:  Human-rights activist Nizar Rastanawi from 
Hama appeared on November 20 at the State Security Court to 
face charges of disseminating false information to affect 
public morale.  Rastanawi, who has been detained since April 
19, appeared without a lawyer for most of his hearing, as 
Presiding Judge Faez al-Nouri banned defense lawyer Rezan 
Zeituni from the courtroom following her participation in the 
November 13 protest at the State Security Court.  Fellow 
defense lawyer Khalil Maatouk left the courthouse in 
solidarity with Zeituni.  Opposition figure and lawyer Hassan 
Abdulazim stepped in as defense counsel midway through the 
session, but presented no information on Rastanawi,s behalf. 
 During questioning by the presiding judge, Rastanawi made 
clear that he was not acquainted with the witnesses the 
prosecution had presented. Nouri asked Rastanawi if he met 
regularly with foreign embassy officials, which Rastanawi 
denied.  The judge then called Rastanawi "one of the 
loiterers at the embassy gates."  A British diplomat later 
told Poloff that this was the first time that he had 
witnessed this line of questioning in the presence of 
diplomats, leaving those present wondering if embassy 
contacts will be fair game for interrogation following 
Asad,s November 10 speech.  Rastanawi remains in SARG 
custody; his next court date is February 5, 2006. 
SECHE