Fear for life and safety of other activists still in detention

The Collective for Syria in Montreal was horrified to learn of the death of Ghayath Mattar in Syrian custody earlier today. According to reports received from contacts in Syria, Mr. Mattar died under brutal torture after being arrested by Syrian security last week. Syrian officials have been seeking him since April for his role in organizing protests in the town of Darya.

Mr. Mattar was an active proponent of non-violent action to challenge repression in Syria. He was married, and his wife is expecting their first child. He was 26 years old.

"This is very painful; too much to bear to think of that beautiful young man, who represents the best among us, to be killed so brutally. It is a strike against all of us, against all that is good in humanity. But what the regime needs to understand is that when they cut one of us down like that, ten more will arise in his place."

Mr. Mattar was arrested last week with Yahya Shurbaji, an activist widely respected for his commitment to non-violent struggle for freedom (see below). The two men responded to a phone call for help from Mr. Shurbaji's brother that turned out to be a trap. After the arrest, Mr. Mattar's brother received a call from the notoriously brutal Air Force Intelligence saying that they had the activists and threatening to "finish" them.

CSM is extremely worried about Mr. Shurbaji, who is a personal friend of members of the collective and an important figure in the nonviolent movement in Syria.

We are equally concerned about all other activists currently in Syrian custody, who were arrested as part of an escalating regime strategy to terrorize the population into submission through raids and snatch arrests.

The CSM calls on the government of Canada to urgently:

• use its influence directly and through international/UN channels to press for information on everyone detained in the raids and for the immediate release of Mr. Shurbaji and all other political detainees;
• publicly express Canada's unequivocal objections to the conduct of the Syrian security services and demand the immediate and safe release of the detainees;
• cut diplomatic recognition of Syria by recalling the Canadian Ambassador and expelling Syrian diplomatic officers;
• impose meaningful economic sanctions, including by forcing Canada's largest oil company, Suncor, to end its 50-50 partnership with the Syrian regime.

Among the activists abducted last week:
Daraya: Yahya Sharbagi, Maan Shurbaji, Mazen Zyadeh, Ghayath Mattar and Tayseer Khoulani
Damascus suburbs: Fouad Alla Deen, Omar Mohildeen, Mahmoud Samra, Mohammad Borhan, Jawad Khous, brothers Walid and Mohammad Youssef.
Damascus: Amer Matar, Omar Kokash, Wafaa Mustafa and Sanaa Mustafa
Aleppo: Gassan Yassin, Ayman Omar
QamishlySarekaniye-Ras Alain: Jowan Ayo
Banyas: Ahmad Bakri, Wassim Haliss, Mustafa Yahia
Lattakia: Samer Al-Masry, Bahhar Naseef, Eng. Hassan Abd Al Rahman
Source: www.lccsyria.org

Media Contact:
Bushra Jalabi, 514 581 1475
Khaled Alsadi, 438 826 0055
Afra Jalabi: 514 577-8099

Source:
Collective for Syria in Montreal
http://cfsmtl.wordpress.com
syri...@gmail.com

From Morocco to Egypt, from Bahrain to Palestine to Syria, self-determination, justice and dignity will prevail!
No to indifference; no to intervention; yes to solidarity!

KEY SYRIAN PROTEST LEADER ARRESTED

Montrealers call on Canada to act swiftly as Syrian repression of activists escalates

Montreal, 8 September 2011 – The Collective for Syria in Montreal has learned with great concern that Yahia Shurbagi, a key activist in the city of Daraya, was arrested in Syria earlier this week. Mr. Shurbagi was ambushed as he answered a call for help from his brother. The call turned out to be a trap set by security forces.

Bushra Jalabi, a member of the Collective for Syria in Montreal and close friend of Yahya Sharbagi, stated, "We are deeply concerned for Yahya's safety. Sources in Syria indicate that Yahya is being held by Air Force Intelligence, which has the reputation of being one of the most brutal units of the Syrian security apparatus, known for torturing and executing. I urge the Canadian government to use its influence to secure Yahya's release and that of all political prisoners in Syria."

Throughout the now more than six-month-long uprising in Syria, Yahya Shurbagi, 33 years old, has been a leading figure in the cause of non-violent struggle. His committment to peaceful methods of protest, even in the face of regime violence and intimidation, has earned him the respect of all struggling for change in Syria. Mr. Shurbagi was earlier arrested in 2003 for his involvement in the “Daraya Youth” group, which initiated a number of civic actions. At that time, he spent over three years in prison.

In a statement broadcast Thursday, September 1st on Montreal's CKUT 90.3 Radio, Mr. Shurbaji spoke of his optimism that Syrians, “can build a bright future in which a democratic country will emerge; a country in which human rights are respected and equality amongst its citizens, regardless of their backgrounds, is the norm.”

The CSM is deeply concerned at the rise in snatch arrests, abductions and raids by Syrian security forces targetting women and men active in the non-violent protest movement seeking meaningful political change in Syria. During the course of this week, the government's security agents and its private militiamen (shabiha) have swept neighbourhoods throughout Syria, abducting citizens who have been involved in organizing or otherwise supporting the popular protests.

This represents a very troubling escalation in the Syrian regime's strategy of attempting to terrorize the population into submission. It is widely known that detainees are routinely subjected to inhumane treatment, humiliation, cruelty and torture in Syrian prisons and detention centres. Many thousands of people are currently reported by families and friends as missing in Syria.

The CSM calls on the government of Canada to assist in getting information on all of those detained in this week's raids and assist in securing the immediate release of Mr. Shurbagi and all other political detainees. We furthermore demand that representatives of Canada publicly convey their unequivocal objections to the conduct of the Syrian security services and demand the immediate and safe release of the detainees. We reiterate our demand that Canada immediately recall the Canadian ambassador to Syria and implement meaningful economic sanctions - including forcing Canada's largest oil company, Suncor, to end its 50-50 partnership with the Syrian regime.

Among those abducted this week:
Daraya: Yahya Sharbagi, Maan Shurbaji, Mazen Zyadeh, Ghayath Mattar and Tayseer Khoulani.
Damascus suburbs: Fouad Alla Deen, Omar Mohildeen, Mahmoud Samra, Mohammad Borhan, Jawad Khous, brothers Walid and Mohammad Youssef.
Damascus: Amer Matar, Omar Kokash, Wafaa Mustafa and Sanaa Mustafa
Aleppo: Gassan Yassin, Ayman Omar
QamishlySarekaniye-Ras Alain: Jowan Ayo
Banyas: Ahmad Bakri, Wassim Haliss, Mustafa Yahia
Lattakia: Samer Al-Masry, Bahhar Naseef, Eng. Hassan Abd Al Rahman
Source: www.lccsyria.org

Video of activists speaking, including Shurbaji:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPHfKLJjX0A

Source:
Collective for Syria in Montreal
syri...@gmail.com
http://cfsmtl.wordpress.com