In a statement made in his defense during a hearing before the Military Court in November 2009, Mr Al Maleh stated: "Your Honour, I love freedom and refuse despotism, I love justice, hate falsehood and condemn injustice, I love Syria passionately and I see life outside of it as death." Mr Haitham Al Maleh loves his country, and has worked tirelessly to defend its people.

This Saturday, 17 April 2010, is the celebration of Syria's independence. The organisations signing this letter request that you, Mr President, allow Mr Haitham Al Maleh to celebrate this important day with his family, by releasing him immediately from detention.

When Haitham Al Maleh was taken by security forces on 14 October 2009, he was taking prescribed medication for his diabetes and overactive thyroid gland. Mr Al-Maleh has not been given his medication for more than 2 months now, and his health condition is seriously deteriorating. According to observers present at Mr Al-Maleh's hearing before the Military Judge on 22 February, he was so weak that he could hardly speak. He also fainted in his prison cell earlier in February. Failure to be provided with the appropriate medication for his diabetes and overactive thyroid gland can lead to severe weight loss, falling into a coma and heart and kidney failures.

Mr Al Maleh has spent the last four decades defending the rights of Syrians from every level of society, every ideological and political persuasion and every region of the country. He has been given numerous international prizes for his human rights work and has often spoken at universities, conferences and even before parliaments around the world. He has published articles and books, and was often interviewed for television programs about Syria. Mr Al Maleh always spoke of the need for the Syrian Constitution to be fully and completely implemented, and for the rights of all Syrians, as guaranteed in this constitution, to be protected. He freely expressed his opinions and defended the right of others to do so also.

It has been clear that Mr Al Maleh was arrested for having expressed his opinions on recent television programs and in publications in Syria and outside. Syria stated in its 3rd periodic report submitted to the Human Rights Committee in October 2004, that:

295. Freedom of expression in Syria is protected by the Constitution and by law and every citizen has the right to participate in the political, economic, social and cultural life (article 26 of the Constitution) and article 38 of the Constitution affirms that "every citizen has the right to freely and openly express his views in words, in writing and through all other means of expression. ... The State guarantees the freedom of press, printing and publication in accordance with the law. (emphasis added)

We believe that Mr Al Maleh's arrest is a clear violation of article 38 of the Syrian Constitution and of Article 19 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights ratified by Syria in 1969.

Mr. President, Mr. Haitham Al Maleh has now been held in detention for 6 months, in very difficult conditions and without proper medical treatment. We urge you to release Mr Al Maleh immediately.

We thank you in advance for your urgent attention to this matter and we look forward to your prompt response to the matters raised in this correspondence.

Yours Sincerely,

Alkarama Foundation, Switzerland
مؤسسة الكرامة

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Egypt
مركز القاهرة لدراسات حقوق الانسان

Syrian Human Rights League, Syria
الرابطة السورية للدفاع عن حقوق الإنسان

Haitham Al Maleh Foundation, Belgium
مؤسسة هيثم المالح

Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies, Syria
مركز دمشق لدراسات حقوق الإنسان

Frontline, Ireland
منظمة الخط الأمامي

Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Bahrain
مركز البحرين لحقوق الإنسان

Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights, Bahrain
جمعية شباب البحرين لحقوق الإنسان

Women's Petition Committee, Bahrain
لجنة العريضة النسائية

Syrian Human Rights Organisation (SWASIAH), Syria
المنظمة السورية لحقوق الانسان سواسية

Lebanese Center for Human Rights (CLDH), Lebanon
المركز اللبناني لحقوق الانسان

The Syrian Human Rights Committee, United Kingdom
اللجنة السورية لحقوق الإنسان

The Palestinian Human Rights Foundation (Monitor), Lebanon
(الجمعية الفلسطينية لحقوق الإنسان (راصد

Sawt al Qanon, Jordan
صوت القانون

Arab-European Center of Human Rights and International Law, Norway
المرکز العربي الاوربي لحقوق الانسان والقانون الدولي

Arab Human Rights Defenders Union, Norway
اتحـــاد المدافعين عن حقوق الانسان العرب

Syrian Observatory Human Rights, London
المرصد السوري لحقوق الإنسان

Human Rights and Democracy Media Center (SHAMS), Palestine
" مركز إعلام حقوق الإنسان والديمقراطية "شمس

Kurdish organization for the defence of human rights and the general liberties in Syria (DAD), Syria
المنظمة الكردية للدفاع عن حقوق الإنسان والحريات العامة

Arab-European Center of Human Rights and International Law (CAEDHDI), France
المركز العربي الاوربي لحقوق الإنسان والقانون الدولي في فرنسا

Euro Mediterranean Human Rights Network,Denmark
الشبكة الأوروبية - المتوسطية لحقوق الإنسان