The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights
PRESS RELEASE

2 June 1998

 The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) would like to express
its warmest welcome for the decision made by the President of the Arab
Republic of Syria to release Aktham Nuaisa (aged 44), a prominent human
rights activist, after five years imprisonment.  The amnesty decision also
included 30 other prisoners of conscience as well as political prisoners.

   In March 1992, the Higher State Security Court of Syria issued a number
of arbitrary verdicts against Mr. Nuaisa and 13 others for forming an
illegal organization and obtaining money from abroad.  They were sentenced
to terms ranging between three and ten years imprisonment. 

   It is worth mentioning that the trial drew enourmous criticism from
international human rights circles as the defendants were not granted the
right to defense and were also deprived of the right to appeal.  Moreover,
the defendants pleaded that their confessions had been extracted under
torture.

   The EOHR sees this amnesty decision as a positive step towards closing
the files of prisoners of conscience and political prisoners.  It also
expresses hope that such a decision will be the first of a number of
measures aimed to release all political prisoners in accordance with
international human rights conventions.

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