The National Salvation Front, led by Abdel Halim Khaddam, issued a statement on 14/10/2009, expressing its concern over the arrest of lawyer and human rights activist Mr. Haytham Al-Maleh by Syrian security authorities. This act is not new to the regime’s repressive practices, which are characterized by repression, corruption, and discrimination against the Syrian people at various levels, including ethnicity, sect, religion, and politics. The regime thrives on creating constant societal tension and supporting authoritarianism in all its forms, regardless of their disguises.
The arrest of human rights activist Mr. Lawyer Haytham Al-Maleh, particularly considering his age of over 78 years, along with activist Muhannad Al-Hassani, highlights the deep crisis the regime is facing. The persistence of this security policy should prompt discussions on democratic freedoms and human rights during meetings between officials from Europe, America, and the rest of the world with Damascus’s ruling regime. It is crucial for the National Salvation Front, the Syrian people, and all Arab forces and organizations, as well as international bodies like the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, the European Union, and other human rights organizations worldwide, to raise their voices in condemnation of political detentions and prevent this regime from escaping accountability for its crimes against the Syrian people and neighboring nations, including Iraq, Palestine, and Lebanon. The immediate release of lawyer Haytham Al-Maleh, along with all political detainees and prisoners of conscience in Syria and elsewhere, is urged.
