Son Taken Prisoner as Father Released – Take Action for Suhaib Al-Ammar!

About Suhaib Al-Ammar:
Born on 25 November 1989, Suhaib Al-Ammar is a 21-year-old nonviolence activist and university student. He is the son of nonviolence teacher and recently-released political prisoner Dr. Mouhammad Al-Ammar and Fatima Saleh Hariri of Namar, Dara Province. Suhaib is a political prisoner in Syria.

On Friday, 18 November 2011, Suhaib was on his way to visit his sister Maimouna and her infant daughter. As he tried to pass a Daraya checkpoint, he was detained by Air Force Security who demanded to know why he, a Daran, was in Daraya. When they learned he was there to visit his sister, they took him in shackles to Maimouna’s home. It was eight o’clock at night when the agents rang her bell and demanded that she hand over her baby. Baby Emar, born in June, is five months old. The agents indicated that they wanted to hold the baby hostage until her father, Osama Nassar, a nonviolent protest organizer in Daraya, turned himself in.

Maimouna refused to give them baby Emar, holding her tightly and fending off the men. They then seized Suhaib, taking him hostage instead of the infant, and threatened, “We’ll bring your brother back in a coffin if your husband does not submit to us.”

The Air Force Security Branch, headed by Jamal Hasan, has a reputation for having the freest hand with torture. They are responsible for the death by torture of three activists from Daraya (Zuhair Mobayadh on 1 June 2011, Ghiyath Matar on 9 September 2011, and Taleb Samra on 23 October 2011). They are also responsible for the torture of numerous other political prisoners from other towns.

We condemn this barbaric attack on this family. Join us to demand Suhaib’s immediate release from illegal detention at the hands of this brutal and criminal regime!

TAKE ACTION

1. Join Suhaib’s support page on Facebook.

2. Write for Suhaib Al-Ammar:
Please use the below sample letter to urgently demand the immediate and unconditional release of 21-year-old political prisoner Suhaib Al-Ammar. The mail should be addressed to the Syrian Embassy in Washington DC, with copies to international foreign ministries worldwide as well as media outlets. Addresses appear below the sample letter.

SAMPLE LETTER:

To the relevant authorities:

I am writing to urgently demand the IMMEDIATE and UNCONDITIONAL release of 21-year-old student Suhaib Al-Ammar from arbitrary detention in Syria’s security system.

Suhaib Al-Ammar was taken hostage on 18 November 2011 at the home of his sister in Daraya and abducted by Air Force Security, in violation of all relevant national and international laws. Suhaib is now arbitrarily detained. Arbitrary detention is illegal according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 7. Syria signed this Covenant on 21 April, 1969.

In addition, torture is illegal in Syria, both under international law as well as according to Article 28 (3) of the Syrian Constitution. The Penal Code of Syria stipulates punishment for anyone inflicting torture on a person. Syria’s security system is thus fully responsible for the safety, health and physical and psychological well-being of Suhaib Al-Ammar.

I hold Bashar Assad and the Syrian regime exclusively responsible for the safe return of Suhaib Al-Ammar, and for all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners currently held in Syria’s detention and prison system. All such detainees should be released immediately and without condition.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]

ADDRESSES (copy & paste into your email address line):

To (Syrian Embassy in Washington DC): info@syrembassy.net

cc (Foreign Ministries worldwide): jerzy.buzek@europarl.europa.eu, michael.spindelegger@bmeia.gv.at, kab.bz@diplobel.fed.be, info@mvp.gov.ba, iprd@mfa.government.bg, imprensa@itamaraty.gov.br, imprensa@planalto.gov.br, pm@pm.gc.ca, ministar@mvpei.hr, minforeign1@mfa.gov.cy, podatelna@mzv.cz, udenrigsministeren@um.dk, vminfo@vm.ee, umi@formin.fi, bernard.kouchner@diplomatie.gouv.fr, inform@mfa.gov.ge, guido.westerwelle@auswaertiges-amt.de, gpapandreou@parliament.gr, titkarsag.konz@kum.hu, external@utn.stjr.is, dcpf@mea.gov.in, minister@dfa.ie, gabinetto@cert.esteri.it, segreteria.frattini@esteri.it, mfa.cha@mfa.gov.lv, tonio.borg@gov.mt, secdep@mfa.md, post@mfa.no, DNZPC.Sekretariat@msz.gov.pl, pm@pm.gov.pt, msp@mfa.rs, ministry@mid.ru, miguel.moratinos@maec.es, beatriz.lorenzo@maec.es, registrator@foreign.ministry.se, info@eda.admin.ch, info@mfa.gov.tr, haguew@parliament.uk, stewartkb@state.gov

cc (various media outlets): evening@cbsnews.com, earlyshow@cbs.com, 60m@cbsnews.com, 48hours@cbsnews.com, dateline@nbcuni.com, hardball@msnbc.com, joe@msnbc.com, nightly@nbc.com, today@nbc.com, newshour@pbs.org, ombudsman@npr.org, city@thestar.ca, letters@latimes.com, letters@nytimes.com, Bruce.Wallace@latimes.com, Mark.McGonigle@latimes.com, news-tips@nytimes.com, foreign@nytimes.com, nytnews@nytimes.com, editor@usatoday.com, wsj.ltrs@wsj.com, letters@washpost.com, ombudsman@washpost.com, letters@newsweek.com, letters@time.com, letters@usnews.com, info@ap.org, redaktion@faz.de, redactie@volkskrant.nl, ole.erik.almlid@aftenposten.no, bjorn.hedensjo@dn.se, redaktion@tages-anzeiger.ch, simon.jeffery@guardian.co.uk, redazione.tg5@mediaset.it, redazione.studioapertorm@mediaset.it, skytg24.redazione@skytv.it, segreteria_roma@repubblica.it, roma@lastampa.it, segreteria@unita.it, lorenzocairoli@hotmail.com, redazione@ilmanifesto.it, nadiapizzuti@gmail.com, nadia.pizzuti@ansa.it

Here are some additional addresses to send your appeals to. They include Syrian embassies around the world, the Syrian Mission to the UN, and (VERY important) several offices of the Arab League. (Many thanks to John Burke for these additional addresses):
embsiria@loreno.net, embsiria@uol.com.br, hungary@syrianembassy.hu, syrianemb@raha.com, syrianemb@cbn.net.id, mofa.aung@mptmail.net.mm, souria@volny.cz, vienna_embassy@syrianembassy.jet2web.at, embsyria@palmyra.neostrada.pl, info@syrianembassy.de, syrianmission@verizonmail.com, arableague@aol.com, arabstat.dept@las.int, asiaaust.dept@las.int, multilateral.dept@las.int, familyhealth.unit@las.int, woman.unit@las.int, communication.dept@las.int, family.dept@las.int, americas.dept@las.int, io.dept@las.int, security.dept@las.int, ns.dept@las.int, missions.dept@las.int, environment.dept@las.int, trade.dept@las.int, esres.dept@las.int, complaint.dept@las.int, inspection.dept@las.int, population.dept@las.int, youthsp.dept@las.int, military.dept@las.int, ecorelation.dept@las.int, arelations.dept@las.int, civilsoc.dept@las.int, protocol.dept@las.int, Aou.dept@las.int, conference.dept@las.int, europe.dept@las.int, humanrights.dept@las.int, civildialogue.dept@las.int, Shoun.arabiyya@las.int, basicservices.dept@las.int, alcouncil.dept@las.int, research.dept@las.int, ajaa.dept@las.int, legal.dept@las.int, healthhum.dept@las.int, central.mail@las.int, socculture.sector@las.int, ecosocial.dept@las.int, media_general.dept@las.int, gs.secretary@las.int, info.sect@las.int, control.sector@las.int, coordination.committee@las.int, psc.dept@las.int, press.dept@las.int, sg.cabinet@las.int, political.dept@las.int, sgdep.cabinet@las.int

Syrian embassy, Great Britan Contact Form

* Photo and biography of Suhaib Al-Ammar provided by Dr. Mohja Kahf.