Print this Email this

Syria: Dismissal of state employees for expressing opinions violates international human rights

24 June 2006, 06:12AM

Seventeen state employees working in various Syrian government ministries have been dismissed without explanation but apparently on account of their links to a petition, the Beirut-Damascus Declaration. The 17 individuals had signed the Declaration of 12 May, which calls for the normalisation of relations between Syria and Lebanon, and also a subsequent statement calling for the release of 10 signatories of the Declaration who were arrested in mid-May.[1]

The dismissal of the 17 individuals was ordered by Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-'Otri on 14 June. According to the Syrian Labour Law, state employees can be dismissed without reason but may appeal the decision before the Administrative Court. Amnesty International considers the dismissals to violate Syria's international human rights law obligations, in particular articles 19 and 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and, regarding the workplace, the Discrimination Convention of the International Labour Organisation.

The dismissed employees are: Suheil Abu Fakhr, 'Essam Mahmoud, Fou'ad al-Bunni, Kamal al-Dabbas, Marwan Hamza, Nabil Abu Sa'ad and Haytham Sa'ab (all employees of the Ministry of Education); Fadhl Hijaz and Lina Wafa'i (Local Affairs Ministry); Selma Kerkoutli and Nadher Nasr (Information Ministry); Kamal Bel'ous (Finance Ministry); Ghaleb Tarbeh (Electricity Ministry); 'Essam Abu Sa'id (Ministry of Agriculture); Munir Shahoud (Ministry of Higher Education); Dr Niqola Ghenoum (Ministry of Health); and Sulayman Shemr (Oil Ministry), who is one of the 10 individuals detained since mid-May.

Amnesty International is calling on Syrian Prime Minister Muhammad Naji al-'Otri urgently to clarify the reasons for the dismissal of these 17 individuals from state employment and to order their immediate re-instatement if they were sacked because of their support for the Beirut-Damascus Declaration. Amnesty International also continues to call for the immediate and unconditional release of the 10 prisoners of conscience detained for their signing of the Declaration and of all other prisoners of conscience in Syria.

1. See AI Public Statement, Another wave of arrests of human rights defenders and civil society activists, MDE 24/038/2006, 17 May 2006.

Make an impact

You can make a difference right now. Your action will help to shine the light of hope into people's lives across the world.

You can make a difference right now. Your action will help shine the light of hope into people's lives across the world.

Check out what 4881 people are doing right now to support human rights.

Act now

Stay Informed

Sign up for email updates

Get Involved

Two Columbian boys smiling and holding their arms out with their thumbs up - a sign of hope

Amnesty International relies on your support to continue our vital work protecting human rights. Please help us keep governments accountable, bring the guilty to justice, and save lives.

Donate