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RWB has condemned the arrest of website
editor Mohammed Ghanem in Syria
9.4.2006
Contribution by Sherko
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Reporters Without
Borders has condemned the arrest and detention of
writer and website editor Mohammed Ghanem, who was
arrested at his home in the northeastern city of Ar
Raqqah on 31 March 2006 by military intelligence
officers.
Ghanem, who edits the
http://www.surion.org website, refused to
leave with military intelligence officers until the
local military intelligence chief came and took him
away after one hour. Soldiers continued to surround
the home for several hours. Reporters Without
Borders called for his immediate release and
deplored the growing crackdown on journalists and
human rights activists since January.
Ghanem's family said they thought his latest arrest
was prompted by what he has been publishing on
http://www.surion.org , which he calls the
"website of the Syrians" and describes as a
"national, democratic, independent and free site."
Born in 1955 in Rikka, a teacher by training and the
author of several novels, Ghanem is known for
defending Syria's Kurdish minorities. He has also
written articles for the site
http://www.syriamirror.net .
He was previously arrested on 12 March 2004 and held
for 15 days for writing an article about the violent
clashes that took place that month between Kurds,
Arab tribes and Syrian security forces in the
north-eastern city of Qamishli (Kurdistan-Syria).
Meanwhile, there is still no word of journalist Ali
Abdallah and his son, Mohammad, who were arrested by
the Syrian authorities two weeks ago, on 23 March.
Also detained in Syria is journalism student Massoud
Hamid, who has been in prison since 24 July 2004 for
posting photos of a pro-Kurdish demonstration in
Damascus on a website based abroad. The winner of
the Reporters Without Borders - Fondation de France
prize last year in the cyber-dissident category, he
is serving a three-year sentence.
Syria is on the list of 15 Internet enemies that
Reporters Without Borders drew up in November 2005.
www.rsf.org
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