Kamal al-Labwani

Kamal al - Labwani ( * 1957 in Zabadani, Syria ) is a Syrian doctor and artist who is involved in the opposition movement in his country. In May 2007, he has been convicted before the Criminal Court in Damascus to 12 years in prison in April 2008 for a further 3 years. He is considered one of the most prominent members of the Syrian opposition movement and was condemned by all the opposition in Syria, one of the longest prison sentences. In November 2011 he was released from prison. Following his dismissal were al - Labawani and his family asylum in Sweden.

Life

Labwani comes from the small town of Zabadani in the province Rif Dimaschq near the Lebanese border. As a military doctor, he was confronted in 1982 with the massacre in the Syrian city of Hama medium, through which the government suppressed the violent uprising of the Muslim Brotherhood and in which up to 30,000 people lost their lives. This prompted him to go in opposition to the Ba'ath. He founded the " Liberal Democratic Union " Syria and joined the movement " Damascus Spring " of Riad Seif, which in 2001 inspired by the change of regime in Syria, was born. After the death of Hafez al -Assad on 10 June 2000, his son Bashar took over the government. Bashar al -Assad had studied in London and were married there also. He gave himself first as a representative of liberal views, which advocated a more freedom and democracy and high-level cases of corruption denounced.

Kamal al - Labwani was arrested in September 2001 after he had attended a political seminar in the House of Riad Seif on September 6. On August 22, 2002, he was sentenced to 3 years in prison for " attempted coup ". After completing his sentence, he was released in September 2004.

During his first imprisonment Kamal carried out a hunger strike and lost 22 kg of weight, to writing materials and art supplies and he was given. He wrote two books and several poems. The first painting while in custody was a picture of his mother, which was equal confiscated. In 2005, he managed to bring about 30 of his paintings to England, showed there in an exhibition in Basildon. With the sale proceeds of 12 of his pictures he financed his trips to the U.S. and Europe to raise support for the opposition in Syria, the enforcement of democracy and human rights in these countries.

2005 traveled Labwani several European countries and the United States. He spoke with politicians and institutions, such as the Konrad -Adenauer -Stiftung, the political situation in Syria. He was the first Syrian opposition politician who was loaded into the White House in Washington, where he courted support for the democracy movement in Syria in talks with advisers to the president. After his return, Kamal al - Labwani was arrested again on 8 November 2005 at the Damascus airport, since he sits in Adra prison in Damascus a. His cell is located in the wing of No. 5, which is normally reserved for violent inmates. He was allegedly beaten and threatened in prison.

On 10 May 2007 Labwani was condemned by the Damascus Criminal Court to 12 years imprisonment. The case against him did not meet international standards for a fair trial. He was accused of " a foreign state for inciting an attack on Syria Communication".

On 23 April 2008 he was convicted, among other things because of " weakening national sentiment " and " defaming the head of state " to another three years of imprisonment by the Supreme Military Criminal Court in Damascus, resulting in his sentence increased to a total of 15 years. On the face of these charges are based on a statement made by Dr. Labwani had delivered in his own defense in the previous proceedings before the criminal court. The Foreign Office protested in a press release at the re- sentencing of Kamal al - Labwani.

In June 2008 it was announced that he is suffering in addition to high blood pressure have a disease of the prostate that is not treated.

As a result of the protests in Syria, Assad announced an amnesty in May 2011, which also led to al - Labwanis sentence was first reduced and finally abolished altogether. He was released in November 2011.

Assessments and prompts

• On 13 December 2006, the U.S. President George W. Bush urged the Syrian government to: "The Syrian regime shoulderstand immediately free all political prisoners, including Aref Dalila, Michel Kilo, Anwar al -Bunni, Mahmoud Issa, and Kamal Labwani. I am deeply troubled by reports did some ailing political prisoners are denied health care while others are held in cells with violent criminals. "
• According to Amnesty International Labwani was sentenced to this imprisonment solely for his peaceful political activities and opinions. Already on 11 May 2007 invited the German Presidency of the EU to the Syrian bodies to reverse the verdict against Labwani.
• The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded after a thorough examination of this case in March 2009 that Labwani was only imprisoned because of "peaceful expression of his political views " and will therefore " arbitrary and illegal " detained.
• On September 17, 2009, the European Parliament established the unlawfulness of the detention Kamal al - Labwani 's and calls for the immediate release of all political prisoners and human rights activists.

Swell

• September 3, 2009, ntv - Dossier, " The rules are strict "
• January 3, 2008 Frankfurter Rundschau, Birgit Cerha, " Arab balance, No departure for freedom and democracy"
• December 11, 2007, Spiegel Online, Yassin Musharbash, " secret police arrested dozens of opposition activists "
• December 10, 2007, Syrian Human Rights Committee, press release on the new wave of arrests in Syria
• August 30, 2007, F.A.Z. No 201 / S. 8, "Grounded for dissidents "
• May 26, 2007, Spiegel Online, Rainer Hermann, Interview with Riad Seif on the presidential elections
• May 25th 2007, Hamburg evening paper, condemning Kamal al Labwanis, " Syria's rulers can be re-elected "
• 21 May 2007 introducing Quantara.de, Kristin Helberg, Dialogue with the Islamic World, " condemnation of Syrian opposition - listening, not locked away "
• March 30, 2007, Taz.de, " imprisonment for a signature "
• January 21, 2007, Taz.de, "The regime feels that it stands on shaky legs "
• 21 February 2005 THE MIRROR 8/2005, page 112, Susanne Koelbl, " The ABC of dictatorship "
• European Parliament decision: P7_TA (2009 ) 0024 Muhannad al - Hassani to