20 October 2009

Syria: Rights activist and Lawyer Al-Maleh, disappeared after refusing summons

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On 13 October 2009, Haitham al-Maleh was summoned by Syrian Political Security in Damascus for an inquiry and has since vanished. At 12:00, when friends tried to contact him, his phone was off. Mr. al-Maleh's disappearance is believed to be linked to a telephone interview he gave on 12 October 2009 to London-based television station Barada TV; during which he openly criticized Syrian authorities for their continued repression of freedom of expression.

Haitham al-Maleh, 78 and a Syrian national, is a prominent lawyer, human rights activist and former president of the Syrian Human Rights Society. For many years during the 1980s he was subject to detention because of his defense of human rights and generally liberties in Syria. He is the lawyer of Muhannad al-Hassani, a jailed HR activist.

In due course, Alkarama will present Haitham al-Maleh's current case to the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (WGEID) and will continue to closely monitor his case.

Mauritania - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Accessed on 17.11.2004
Optional Protocol: No

State report: Due on 01.11.2017 (2nd)
Last concluding observations: 20.11.2013

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 17.11.2004
Optional Protocol: Yes
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): No
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

State report: Due on 31.05.2017 (2nd)
Last concluding observations: 18.06.2013

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

CED: Ratified on 03.10.2012
Art. 33 (Inquiry procedure): Yes

State report: Overdue since 03.11.2014
Last concluding observations: N/A

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 11.2010 (1st cycle)
Next review: 2015 (2nd cycle)

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme (CNDH) – Status A

Last review: 05.2011
Next review: 2016