Reform Party of Syria (RPS)

Four Kurdish political activists were detained on 26 December in Syria, and have been held incommunicado since then. They are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.

Hassan Saleh, Muhammad Ahmed Mustafa and Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed - all senior members of the unauthorized Syrian Kurdish Yeketi Party in Syria - and Anwer Naso, also a member of the Yeketi Party, were arrested on 26 December by members of Political Security, one of Syria’s security agencies. Political Security regularly detains individuals perceived as opposing or being critical of the Syrian regime. Their detention came around three weeks after the men attended a Yeketi Party conference that called for autonomy in the Kurdish areas in Syria.

The four activists were arrested when they presented themselves to the Political Security branch in Qamishli, a predominantly Kurdish city in north-eastern Syria, in response to an order to see the head of office there. The head of office has reportedly indicated that the men were taken into custody and then transferred to a detention centre elsewhere in Syria. Since their arrest, they are believed to have had no contact with the outside world.

Muhammad Ahmed Mustafa takes regular medication for an overactive thyroid and Hassan Saleh needs medication for health problems including an underactive thyroid and high cholesterol. He has constant pain from a slipped disc in his back for which he takes painkillers and is under instructions not to carry more than two kilograms in weight following a hernia operation he underwent in 2006. Ma’rouf Mulla Ahmed also suffers from a slipped disc in his back. The men may not have access to their medication in detention.

Amnesty International believes that the four activists are likely to be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for peacefully expressing their political opinions regarding issues relating to Kurds in Syria.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Arabic, English, French or your own language:
Urging the authorities to reveal the fate and whereabouts of the four men without further delay and to allow them immediate access to their families and lawyers;
Expressing concern that the four activists may be prisoners of conscience, detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression in relation to Kurdish issues in Syria, and urging the authorities that if this is the case, they should release them immediately and unconditionally;
Asking the authorities to ensure that they are not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment and are given access to any medication and medical treatment they require.