Damascus group releases study of difficulties political prisoners face after being released

The Damascus Center for Human Rights Studies has released an English translation of a thorough investigation, originally released in August 2006, into the circumstances that surround the lives of political prisoners and prisoners of conscience after they have been released from prison.

The report was prepared by Dr. Hossam al-Saad and lawyer Razan Zaitouneh. The report notes the change in composition of the political prisoner population before and after the year 2000, explaining that prior to 2000, members of the Muslim Brotherhood, various leftist parties, andPalestinian groups, and Lebanese citizens were amongst those who were arrested and put in jail. After 2000, the report notes that Kurdish activists and civil society figures as well as members of the opposition began to become one of the regimes primary targets.

The report also notes that these arrests are accompanied with a number of other violations that obscure responsibility and intimidate the prisoners as well as the society:

Political arrest is accompanied by a number of other violations, which can be summarized as follows:

1. Arrest is conducted extra-legally by different branches of the security apparatus. It is not uncommon that the detainee is subject to forced disappearance, at least for the first months or years of detention.
2. Torture and ill treatment is systematically resorted to during the investigation phase that can last many months;
3. Trials are held before exceptional tribunals, which do not respect the minimum standards of justice, such as the state’s High Security Court in Damascus and the military court marshals. In addition, military courts are currently occasionally used to try prisoners of conscience.
4. Detention without trial for long periods of time, which could last the whole period of detention.
5. Solitary confinement and denial of visiting rights

The report takes a look at three areas by which prisoners suffer permanent damage: physically (the effects of torture and detention on the prisoner's health), socially (the stigma attached to the prisoner in society, preventing him from reintegrating into society), and psychologically (a difficulty to "overcome the prison experience" after release).

To take a look at this informative report, you may download the attachments below.