Friends,
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 Anas, a leader of nonviolent demonstrations, has been held incommunicado by Syrian security forces since May 2011.
Send a message to Syria today.
Updates on other Syrian prisoners of conscience
We have not received any new reports on prisoners of conscience Islam Dabbas or Hassan Mabrouka. Attention and pressure are still needed on their cases -- if you haven't contacted Syria about these two young men, please do so. We will inform you should we hear about any changes in their situations.
Escalating violence in Syria continues to put civilians at risk
From the beginning, FOR has supported nonviolent "people power" as the method for bringing lasting social and political change to Syria.
We condemned the violence by anti-government militias in Syria last week. We further believe negotiations are still possible in Syria, especially at the local level.
But as long as violent clashes continue, we must stay particularly vigilant of the imprisoning and disappearing of nonviolent civilians by Syrian security forces.
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Anas Shughri (al-Shoghari) was a third-year student of economics at Tishreen University in Syria when he began to protest the use of violence by the Syrian government against its citizens.
One day in March 2011, after Friday prayers in the coastal city of Banyas, he stood up and called to a crowd of people, "If you're for freedom, come out with me!" Many followed him, making Banyas one of the first sites of unrest outside of Daraa, where the country’s uprising began. Anas was a strong leader in demonstrations because of his charisma, integrity, and commitment to nonviolent protest.
Join us in calling on Syrian authorities for Anas' immediate release.
 Anas, 23, didn't hesitate to use his real name in reporting regime atrocities to international media. He was subjected to arbitrary detention on May 15, 2011, and remains incommunicado.
The lack of any channel of communication with Anas is distressing because the Syrian state is able to avoid acknowledgement of his prisoner status. This leaves him at high risk for ill-treatment and torture, to which he has likely already been subjected because of his charismatic role in the Banyas protests. According to a report this month by Human Rights Watch, a slew of 27 "detention centers" have been established as havens for the torture of political prisoners.
We must hold Syria accountable for the life and health of Anas Shughri. Supporters have alleged that he was held by military security in solitary confinement at a prison in Tartus, a city just south of Banyas, then transferred to the custody of state security in Damascus. We don't know for sure because the state has been silent about his whereabouts.
Help us call for Hassan's release today.
 Anas is from the town of Bayda, located in the countryside outside Banyas. The Syrian regime is claiming he is a "terrorist" who leads "armed gangs," a story used to describe the entire country's uprising in order to justify the crackdown on Syrian citizens. Yet Anas in particular is well known for having demonstrated a commitment to peaceful means of protest.
Call on Syria to release Anas immediately.
Thank you for supporting Anas in this time of need. Look to hear from FOR again with action alerts on behalf of other Syrian prisoners of conscience.
In solidarity,
Leila, Mohja, Maureen, Ali, Linda, Mark, and Ethan, on behalf of FOR's Task Force on the Middle East |
