AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE: "I'M MARCHING for freedom even if I have to do it on my own," declared 23-year-old Anas Al Shogre, in Banias, Syria at the start of the protests last March. Now he is in prison and at risk of torture. His family have been prevented from any communication with him since the middle of May when the Syrian military security arrested him. Others arrested with Anas and subsequently released say he is being held in solitary confinement and that he had been heard screaming "I don't want to live, let me die" raising serious concerns that he is being tortured.
Why Anas is in prison depends on who you listen to. Mass protests calling for political reform and the overthrow of President Ba shar al-Assad started in Banias after midday prayers on March 18th, when Anas reportedly gave a speech to worshippers calling on them to take to the streets to demand their freedom.
The private TV channel Addoudina, perceived to be close to the Syrian authorities, says that Anas is a “terrorist” who leads an “armed group”.
Local human rights activists say that Anas played a leading role in organising the peaceful protests and reporting on what was happening on the ground to the media. He reported to both BBC Arabic and Al-Hiwar, a London-based Arabic language channel from the protests. The footage is online, the price he is paying for speaking out is clear. Amnesty International believes that Anas may be a prisoner of conscience detained for peacefully exercising his rights to freedom of expression and assembly.
Unfortunately Anas is far from unique. While the protests in Syria have been largely peaceful, the response from the Syrian authorities has been brutal.
Amnesty Internantional has the names of more than 2,200 people who have died or been killed during or in connection with the protests since mid-March. Many were shot by security forces using live ammunition while taking part in peaceful protests or attending funerals of other protesters. Thousands, like Anas, have been arrested, with many held incommunicado at unknown locations where torture and other ill-treatments are said to be rife.
The crackdown on dissent is not just confined to Syria. Over 30 peaceful protesters in eight countries, including the US and Europe, say they have been intimidated by Syrian embassy officials and others acting on behalf of the regime. In many cases, protesters were filmed outside their local Syrian embassy and subjected to harassment of various kinds, including phone calls, e-mails and Facebook messages warning them to stop. Some activists were directly threatened by embassy officials. The consequences for their families at home has been severe. Some appear to have been forced to publicly disown their relatives abroad. Others have been exposed to harassment, detention and even torture.
Anas al Shogrue has now been detained for just over five months. At first the military security summoned him and told him to stop his activities. Then, said his brother, officials offered him money if he publicly retracted his calls for protest. When this failed they arrested him. What he has undergone will only be clear when, and if, he is released.
When the Syrian media accused Anas of being a terrorist, he responded in a video posted on YouTube saying “We are not armed. Our weapon is our verbal demand for freedom; our weapon is our thought, pen and camera”.
Please take action demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Anas and the thousands of other Syrian detainees. Log on to amnesty.ie now to take action.