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On 7 July 2011, Alkarama submitted Mr Shamoun's case to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention to request his immediate release as well as compensation for his arbitrary detention according to article 9, 5 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The facts
Since 1972, Mr Shamoun, his brother Fawaz Shamoun and the other members of his family were living in Lebanon. The brothers couldn't return to Syria for fear of prosecution as they had reached the age of 18 and did not report to Syrian Military service. However, they returned to Syria in 1985 following a general pardon issued by the late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad, declaring that anyone who had not reported to Military service would not be prosecuted but rather would be allowed to join the Military service.
Following their arrival in Syria and on 2 July 1985, agents of Syrian State Security, identified by their uniforms, arrested both brothers Yaqoub and Fawaz Shamoun from their home in Amouda-Qamishli, without presenting any arrest warrant. They were taken to the State Security Headquarters in Qamishli, where they were detained and tortured for weeks.
Mr Shamoun's family had no news from their sons until 1996 when Mr Fawaz Shamoun was released without any trial. However, Mr Yacoub Shamoun's whereabouts remained unknown until 2001 when his family was informed by agents of the Syrian Security Forces that he was in Sednaya Prison, where many political prisoners are detained without trial.
Following the events of 2008 in which Syrian security forces killed more than 20 prisoners in Sednaya Prison, Mr Shamoun was again enforced disappeared. In mid-June 2011, Mr Shamoun was transferred from Sednaya Prison to the Military jail of Al Rakka where he still detained without any charge or trial.
It is important to note that the Syrian President recently issued many amnesties: One on 1 June 2011, and a general amnesty on 20 June 2011 (No 72) which granted full amnesty to all crimes committed before this date (20 June). Consequently many prisoners in Syria, including hundreds of political prisoners were released, but Mr Yaqoub Shamoun remains detained.
Mr Shamoun has not been presented before a judge or magistrate, nor does he know the reasons for his detention, 26 years after his arrest. He remains arbitrarily detained in spite of many pardons which should have applied to him. Alkarama therefore requests Mr Shamoun's immediate release and asks the Syrian authorities to refrain from arbitrary arrests and detention.