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Naser Alghazali, the
spokesperson for The International Committee to support Michel
Kilo, welcomed the decision of the Criminal Court of Cassation
in Syria on November 2, 2008, to strike down the lower court
earlier decision against Mr. Michel Kilo and Mr. Mahmoud Issa.
The lower court had refused the defense motion to reduce the
sentences of Mr. Kilo and Mr. Issa by one quarter of the total
prison sentence. Reducing the sentence by on quarter of the
total prison time is a routine procedure under Syrian penal law.
The courts routinely reduce the sentence by one quarter of the
total prison time if the prisoner showed good behavior during
his or her jail time.
The International
Committee to Support Michel Kilo is awaiting the release of Mr.
Kilo and Mr. Issa, both prisoners of conscience, and have
already spent more three quarters of the prison time on August
20, 2008. Both Michel Kilo and Mahmoud Issa were arrested on May
14, 2006 because they signed the Damascus Beirut Declaration;
they were accused with the defaming the Syrian government and
inciting sectarian strives.
The International
Committee to Support Michel Kilo and Damascus Center for
Theoretical and Civil Rights Studies consider the release of
Michel Kilo and Mahmoud Issa good first step, this step is not
complete without the release of all prisoners of conscience,
stop human rights violations, and rein in the numerous illegal
security forces. The Syrian security forces intimidate political
and human rights activists, and operate under Emergency Laws
applied in Syria since 1963.
Damascus Center for
Theoretical and Civil Rights Studies
Monday, November 03,
2008
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