Free Isma’il Othman al-Salihah, Age 70, Held In Communicado By Syrian Regime
- Target:
- President Assad, Syrian Foreign Ministry, Syrian Embassies, Navil Pillay, Ban Ki-Moon, Arab League
- Region:
- Syria
- Website:
- www.amnesty.org
Isma’il Othman al-Salihah, age 70, is from from Maarat al-Numaan, in the north-western Idlib province. He was arrested on 19 March 2012. An eye-witness told Isma’il Othman al-Salihah’s son Ghassan al-Salihah, that his father was arrested at a temporary check-point near the city of Aleppo, known by locals to be controlled by the Air Force Intelligence Directorate (Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Jawiyya)--possibly the most powerful of Assad's secret police agencies
Ghassan al-Salihah, who participated in pro-reform demonstrations and other activities, believes his father was arrested in relation to pro-reform activities by family members. Ghassan al-Salihah, who is not currently in Syria, was detained by State Security officials on 31 April 2011 in relation to his activities and was released without charge on 1 June 2011 in a general amnesty covering "all members of political movements, including the Muslim Brotherhood”.
Isma’il Othman al-Salihah is a retired secondary school teacher and, according to his son, has not been politically active since pro-reform demonstrations began in 2011.
If he was arrested solely in relation his son’s activities, then he is a prisoner of conscience who is at terrible risk of torture as long as he is being held incommunicado. There is further concern for Isma’il Othman al-Salihah’s well-being as he requires daily medication for diabetes and high blood pressure.
WHEREAS: Isma’il Othman al-Salihah, a 70-year-old retired school teacher, has been held incommunicado since his arrest on March 19, 2012 for what appear to be purely political motivations by Syrian regime agents;
And WHEREAS: Isma’il Othman al-Salihah is at horrible risk of torture at the hands of the regime's security forces as long as he is held incommunicado as a prisoner of conscience, additionally requiring special medical care for serious health conditions;
And WHEREAS: One of the KEY conditions of the current peace agreement brokered by Kofi Anan is the expedited release of precisely such political detainees as Isma’il Othman al-Salihah;
THEREFORE: We the undersigned demand that all levels of the International Community bring all possible pressure to bear upon the government of Bashar al-Assad to immediately and uncondtionally release Isma’il Othman al-Salihah and provide him both urgently-needed medical attention. Furthermore, the Syrian government must provide UN officials in Syria unfettered access to Isma’il Othman al-Salihah so that his well-being can be verified.
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The Free Isma’il Othman al-Salihah, Age 70, Held In Communicado By Syrian Regime petition to President Assad, Syrian Foreign Ministry, Syrian Embassies, Navil Pillay, Ban Ki-Moon, Arab League was written by John S. Burke and is in the category Human Rights at GoPetition.