Open letter to Nicolas Sarkozy, Président of the French Republic

Paris, the 4th of july 08 Mr. President, In several days time you will receive, amongst other chiefs of state and heads of government, your Syrian counterpart President Bachar al-Assad. As part of the discussions that you will be having with him, the human rights organisations which have signed this letter ask you to pay particular attention to the fundamental issue of the human rights situation in that country. The state of emergency – lasting continuously for forty-five years –. authorises all kinds of abuses of power. The Syrian authorities continue to harass and persecute political activists and human rights defenders. Torture and ill-treatment are employed with complete impunity. Trials brought against prisoners of conscience ignore international standards of equity. Of all these violations – of which we are unable to... [read full story]