Moaz Al-Khatib, a prominent 50-year-old Syrian Islamic scholar and a leading figure in recent protests, was arrested on 5 May 2011 after receiving a summons from Syrian Political Security services in Al-Jebba, Damascus. He is alleged to have been arrest for his participation in recent peaceful demonstrations. Al-Khatib is one amongst thousands of Syrians calling on its authorities to respect basic civil rights and freedoms. He had previously been arrested on 29 April 2011 for similar reasons, however he was released the following day.

Haitham Al-Maleh, one of the Syrian human rights defenders currently in hiding

Syrian human rights defenders are being targeted by the Syrian authorities as protests escalate across the country. Haytham Al-Maleh and Razan Zaitouni are sought after by the Syrian authorities and are currently in hiding, while Fayez Sara, Dana Jawabra and Hassan Abdel Azim are all currently in custody. These men are long-standing human rights defenders and are leading voices of Syrian protests. They have all either been previously arrested and served jail sentences or are currently under a travel ban.