Kamal al-Labwani
Encyclopedia
Dr. Kamal al-Labwani is a Syrian doctor and artist, considered one of the most prominent members of the Syrian opposition movement. He was imprisoned in Adra Prison
, near Damascus
until November 15, 2011, according to state media. Amnesty International
considers him a prisoner of conscience
.
In 1982, while serving as a military doctor, he observed the Hama massacre
, in which the government crushed the uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood
. This induced him to oppose the ruling Ba'ath party.
He founded the Syrian Liberal Democratic Union and joined the "Damascus Spring
" movement, which briefly flourished after Bashar al-Assad
became President of Syria in June 2001 after the death of his father.
Kamal al-Labwani was arrested in September 2001 after attending a political seminar in the house of fellow activist and politician Riad Seif
. Al-Labwani was taken to ‘Adra prison and held initially in incommunicado detention and then in solitary confinement. Subsequently he gained access to his lawyer and he was allowed family visits. On 28 August 2002 the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) sentenced him to three years in prison on charges including "inciting armed revolt". After serving his sentence he was released in September 2004.
During his first imprisonment al-Labwani was not allowed writing or reading materials but obtained painting supplies in his cell after holding a hunger strike, during which he lost 20 kg. He wrote two books and several poems "in his head", but most of his paintings were confiscated. In 2005, he managed to bring about 40 of his paintings to England, which were then shown at an exhibition in Basildon
. With the sale of some of his paintings, he financed his trips to the U.S. and through Europe, attempting to raise support for the opposition in Syria, on a platform of democracy and human rights. During these trips he attended the Liberal Democrats’ Conference and visited the UK Houses of Parliament, the European Parliament
, and the White House
. He was the first human rights defender and dissident from inside Syria to be invited to discuss the case for Syrian Democracy at the White House.
On his return to Syria on 8 November 2005, al-Labwani was arrested at Damascus International Airport, since which time he has been imprisoned in Adra prison in Damascus. His cell, intended to house 32 but containing more than 60, is in Wing 5, which is normally reserved for violent prisoners.
On 10 May 2007, al-Labwani was sentenced by the criminal court in Damascus to 12 years in prison, with hard labour, on charges of "communicating with a foreign country and inciting it to initiate aggression against Syria", despite no evidence being presented by the prosecution other than their interpretation of “diplomatic pressure” to mean “violent aggression".
On 23 April 2008 he was sentenced by a military court in Damascus to an additional three years in prison, on charges of "weakening national sentiment" and "insulting the head of state", bringing his total sentence to 15 years. The only evidence against him was that prepared for them and read out by his fellow prisoners.
In May 2008, the European Union
Presidency issued a Declaration condemning the additional sentence handed down to Dr. al-Labwani, and called for his immediate release and for him to be treated humanely whilst imprisoned. The Declaration asserted that the sentence clearly violated the principles of the rule of law and contradicted Syria's international obligations and commitments, specifically citing the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
, to both of which Syria is a signatory.
In March 2009, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a UN body responsible for the investigation of complaints of arbitrary detention, released its opinion that al-Labwani’s imprisonment constituted arbitrary detention. The Working Group concluded that Dr. Labwani “had been condemned for the peaceful expression of his political views and for having carried out political activities” that are protected under international law, and also deemed his trial unfair.
Months into the uprising in Syria, the Syrian government announced on November 15, 2011 that it had released 1,180 prisoners, in what appeared to be an effort to show flexibility and sincerity only hours before the Arab League was set to suspend Syria as punishment for President Bashar al-Assad’s repression of dissent. Rights activists confirmed that the freed prisoners included Kamal al-Labwani, halfway through his 15-year sentence. Reuters quoted his daughter as saying that Mr. Labwani had no idea that Syria was in the throes of an upheaval, having been denied outside contact.
.
Adra Prison
Adra Prison is a prison in Syria, on the north-east outskirts of Damascus.Civil prisoners and leading political prisoners are held in the prison. In 2010, the prison held 7,000 prisoners, a dozen of them women...
, near Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
until November 15, 2011, according to state media. Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
considers him a prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience
Prisoner of conscience is a term defined in Peter Benenson's 1961 article "The Forgotten Prisoners" often used by the human rights group Amnesty International. It can refer to anyone imprisoned because of their race, religion, or political views...
.
Life
Dr. Al-Labwani comes from the small town of Zabadani in the Rif Dimashq province, close to the Lebanese border.In 1982, while serving as a military doctor, he observed the Hama massacre
Hama massacre
The Hama massacre occurred in February 1982, when the Syrian army, under the orders of the president of Syria Hafez al-Assad, conducted a scorched earth policy against the town of Hama in order to quell a revolt by the Sunni Muslim community against the regime of al-Assad...
, in which the government crushed the uprising by the Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
. This induced him to oppose the ruling Ba'ath party.
He founded the Syrian Liberal Democratic Union and joined the "Damascus Spring
Damascus Spring
The Damascus Spring was a period of intense political and social debate in Syria which started after the death of President Hafiz al-Asad in June 2000 and continued to some degree until autumn 2001, when most of the activities associated with it were suppressed by the government.- Background...
" movement, which briefly flourished after Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
became President of Syria in June 2001 after the death of his father.
Kamal al-Labwani was arrested in September 2001 after attending a political seminar in the house of fellow activist and politician Riad Seif
Riad Seif
Riad Seif is Syrian political dissident, formerly a member of the Parliament of Syria and prominent businessman, who founded and lead the Forum for National Dialogue. Seif was elected to parliament in 1994 as an independent and again in 1998...
. Al-Labwani was taken to ‘Adra prison and held initially in incommunicado detention and then in solitary confinement. Subsequently he gained access to his lawyer and he was allowed family visits. On 28 August 2002 the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) sentenced him to three years in prison on charges including "inciting armed revolt". After serving his sentence he was released in September 2004.
During his first imprisonment al-Labwani was not allowed writing or reading materials but obtained painting supplies in his cell after holding a hunger strike, during which he lost 20 kg. He wrote two books and several poems "in his head", but most of his paintings were confiscated. In 2005, he managed to bring about 40 of his paintings to England, which were then shown at an exhibition in Basildon
Basildon
Basildon is a town located in the Basildon District of the county of Essex, England.It lies east of Central London and south of the county town of Chelmsford...
. With the sale of some of his paintings, he financed his trips to the U.S. and through Europe, attempting to raise support for the opposition in Syria, on a platform of democracy and human rights. During these trips he attended the Liberal Democrats’ Conference and visited the UK Houses of Parliament, the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
, and the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. He was the first human rights defender and dissident from inside Syria to be invited to discuss the case for Syrian Democracy at the White House.
On his return to Syria on 8 November 2005, al-Labwani was arrested at Damascus International Airport, since which time he has been imprisoned in Adra prison in Damascus. His cell, intended to house 32 but containing more than 60, is in Wing 5, which is normally reserved for violent prisoners.
On 10 May 2007, al-Labwani was sentenced by the criminal court in Damascus to 12 years in prison, with hard labour, on charges of "communicating with a foreign country and inciting it to initiate aggression against Syria", despite no evidence being presented by the prosecution other than their interpretation of “diplomatic pressure” to mean “violent aggression".
On 23 April 2008 he was sentenced by a military court in Damascus to an additional three years in prison, on charges of "weakening national sentiment" and "insulting the head of state", bringing his total sentence to 15 years. The only evidence against him was that prepared for them and read out by his fellow prisoners.
In May 2008, the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Presidency issued a Declaration condemning the additional sentence handed down to Dr. al-Labwani, and called for his immediate release and for him to be treated humanely whilst imprisoned. The Declaration asserted that the sentence clearly violated the principles of the rule of law and contradicted Syria's international obligations and commitments, specifically citing the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
, to both of which Syria is a signatory.
In March 2009, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, a UN body responsible for the investigation of complaints of arbitrary detention, released its opinion that al-Labwani’s imprisonment constituted arbitrary detention. The Working Group concluded that Dr. Labwani “had been condemned for the peaceful expression of his political views and for having carried out political activities” that are protected under international law, and also deemed his trial unfair.
Months into the uprising in Syria, the Syrian government announced on November 15, 2011 that it had released 1,180 prisoners, in what appeared to be an effort to show flexibility and sincerity only hours before the Arab League was set to suspend Syria as punishment for President Bashar al-Assad’s repression of dissent. Rights activists confirmed that the freed prisoners included Kamal al-Labwani, halfway through his 15-year sentence. Reuters quoted his daughter as saying that Mr. Labwani had no idea that Syria was in the throes of an upheaval, having been denied outside contact.
Family
In May 2011, two of Labwani's children, Hind al-Labwani and Omar al-Labwani, went into hiding after taking part in the 2011 anti-government protests2011 Syrian uprising
The 2011 Syrian uprising is an ongoing internal conflict occurring in Syria. Protests started on 26 January 2011, and escalated into an uprising by 15 March 2011...
.