FREE SALAH AL-SHOGRE, 17-YEAR-OLD BROTHER OF SYRIAN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST ANAS AL-SHOGRE!

A 17-year-old boy, Salah al-Shogre (or al-Shogri), brother of a detained activist, was arrested on 28 July in Syria and has been held incommunicado since then. His whereabouts are unknown, and he may be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Salah al-Shogre and his father were stopped at a check point on 28 July, near their home in the coastal city of Banias. According to a relative who lives outside Syria, both Salah al-Shogre and his father were taken to the political security branch in Banias, where Salah al-Shogre was separated from his father for questioning.

Salah al-Shogre’s father asked the security forces where his son had been taken, and was told: "If you want to see your son, go to Tartus." The authorities have given no reasons for his arrest, or revealed where he is, but an unofficial source has told Salah al-Shogre’s family that he is being held at the Military Security branch in the city of Tartus.

Amnesty International is not aware of the reasons for Salah al-Shogre’s arrest. His older brother Anas, who had organized demonstrations in Banias, has been held in incommunicado detention since May 2011. If Salah al-Shogre is held solely in connection with his brother’s activism, he would be a prisoner of conscience and Amnesty International would call for his immediate and unconditional release.

International standards require that detainees' families are notified promptly after their arrest, and that detainees have access to lawyers of their choice throughout their detention and are allowed to communicate with their families.

Salah al-Shogre’s brother, Anas al-Shogre has been detained incommunicado since May 2011 at an unknown location. The authorities have not told his family why he has been detained, and it is not known whether he has been charged. According to Syrian human rights activists and a network responsible for planning and organizing protests, the Local Coordination Committees in Syria (LCC), Anas al-Shogre played a major role in organizing protests in his city of Banias and telling the media what was happening on the ground.