Middle East News

Syrian human rights activist sentenced to 12 years in prison

May 10, 2007, 8:59 GMT

Damascus - Syrian human rights activist Kamal Labwani was sentenced Thursday to 12 years in prison on charges of 'spreading false information' and of contacting a foreign country with the aim of spurring it to aggression against Syria. Labwani was arrested in November 2005 at Damascus airport upon his arrival from the United States, where he had allegedly met with members of the Syrian opposition. He was sentenced by the Second Criminal Court in Damascus in the presence of representatives from European embassies in Syria. In 2001, Labwani, 49, a physician, was arrested in a government clampdown on so-called political 'salons' - political gatherings held in private homes during which Syrian intellectuals discussed democratic reforms. He was sentenced to three years in prison on charges that include inciting rebellion, spreading false information and weakening national unity. He was released in September 2004 and launched two months later a campaign for the release of political prisoners in Syria. Upon succeeding his father in 2000, President Bashar Assad had initially released hundreds of political prisoners, but authorities have increasingly clamped down on pro-democracy activists in recent years. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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