The Individuals

Mr Islam Al Dabbas, aged 21 years and living in Daraya, Rif Damascus Governorate, is a student and allegedly participated in peaceful activities and was involved in community work, together with a group of other committed citizens in Daraya. This group is commonly known as "Shabab Daraya" and undertook its first actions in 1989. Mr Al Dabbas participated in activities such as awareness-raising campaigns to fight bribery and smoking or campaigns to clean the streets.

On 22 July 2011, Mr Al Dabbas was abducted in Daraya in front of Al Imman Mosque by agents of the Air Force Intelligence Services, while offering flowers to members of the Syrian Army. Mr Al Dabbas's father, Mr Khairo Dabbas was arrested on 28 June 2011 by the Syrian security services who deny his detention to date.

Mr Mustafa Abo Zaid, aged 45 years, too, participated in the activities of the group called "Shabab Daraya" as was Mr Mohamed Al Shurbaji's brother, Yahya Al Shurbaji (see below). Mr Abo Zaid was arrested a first time on 3 May 2003 during a silent march organised by "Shabab Daraya" against the US invasion in Iraq. He was released on 1 April 2004, after having spent nearly one year in detention.

On 11 August 2011, Mr Abo Zaid was abducted while attending a demonstration in Daraya. He was severely beaten by members of the Air Force Intelligence, some in civilian clothing, some wearing military uniforms, before being taken away. They also seized his car.

Mr Mohamed 'Maan' Al Shurbaji, aged 41 years, and 43-year-old Mr Muhammad Tayseer Khulani were both arrested on 6 September 2011 in Daraya when the house of a friend was raided by members of the Air Force Intelligence Services, some in civilian clothing, some wearing military uniforms. They were hiding in this house with other activists and witnesses later reported there had been heavy shooting. Shortly after their arrest, Mr Al Shurbaji was forced to call his brother, Yahya Al Shurbaji, to lure him into an ambush of the Air Force Intelligence. Mr Yaha Al Shurbaji was then arrested together with his friend, Ghayath Mattar, whose dead body was returned to his family four days later.

Since the disappearance of Mr Muhammad Tayseer Khulani, his nephew, 24-year-old Mr Amr Ahmad Khulani, was taking care of his shop. Several days after the owner's arrest, on 14 September 2011, the shop was searched by agents of the Air Force Intelligence Services. They arrested Mr Khulani's nephew, confiscated computers and various other things and destroyed what remained in the shop.

Mr Muhammad Nouh, aged 19 years, was participating in demonstrations in Daraya on 5 October 2011 when he was attacked by agents of the Air Force Intelligence. He was beaten and then taken away to an unknown location.

Mr Mahmoud Dred had already been persecuted by Syrian authorities and was previously arrested two times. He was first arrested on 13 March 2011 while participating in one of the first demonstrations in the country which took place in Al Harika Square, in Damascus' old town. He was then released on 9 April 2011 without trial or other legal procedures. Ten days later, Mr Dred was arrested following his participation in a peaceful demonstration in Al Kadam close to Daraya. Another ten days later, he was released, again without legal procedures.

On 24 August 2011, agents of the Air Force Intelligence in civilian clothing abducted Mr Dred at Al Kadam train station. They put him in a type of car usually used by these security services (Peugeot) and took him to an unknown location. In addition, agents of the same service had asked regime supporters living in the area to look for Mr Dred some days before the abduction.

Alkarama has reasons to believe that the seven men mentioned above are now detained at Al Mazza Military Airport, given the majority of people arrested in Daraya are detained there. However, no information was given to the family concerning their whereabouts.

38-year-old Mr Maamon Al Darsani's family holds an important position in Al Zabadani and some of his relatives have been very in the organisation of and the participation in demonstrations calling for democratic transition in Syria. On 23 July 2011, Mr Al Darsani was working in his barber shop near Al Merah Mosque in Al Zabadani when agents of the Political Security Services came to arrest him. Mr Al Darsani's relatives tried to find him at the local branch of the Political Security Forces but the officers denied Mr Al Darsani's detention.

The Pattern

From these eight cases, a common pattern emerges: security agents arrest individuals, usually without legal justification, for reasons relating to their or their relatives' and friends' involvement in demonstrations. Some activists are even abducted while participating in demonstrations. Those arrested or abducted disappear and their presence in state custody is denied by the authorities. When arrested individuals are released after periods of time ranging from some days to several months, they give testimony of most inhumane treatments they were subjected to during their detention. In some cases, the disappeared's dead bodies are returned to their families bearing marks of heavy torture.

In light of the information above, Alkarama submitted the cases of enforced disappearance to the UN Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance, requesting the Working Group take concrete action with the Syrian authorities to address this practice of serious human rights violation committed while dealing with the growing movement of popular opposition. We believe that enforced disappearances, along with continuing arbitrary arrest and widespread mistreatment of detainees by security forces, are worrying patterns which seriously undermine the rule of law and violate the basic rights to freedom of opinion and expression as well as the right to physical and mental integrity of thousands of Syrians.