Postcards to Prison

SMN No 7, August 13, 2010 Supporters of the prominent imprisoned Syrian activist Haytham al-Maleh have been urged to send him greeting cards on his 80th birthday this week. A newly launched website, The Haitham Maleh Foundation for the Defence of Human Rights, offers greeting cards in seven languages designed specially for the occasion. Al-Maleh [...]

A Decade in Power, part 2: Still the “Kingdom of Silence”. Internal Politics under Bashar al-Assad

Ten years after Bashar al-Assad ascended to power, oppression might not be as violent as during the dark years of his father’s rule. People are more vocal and there are less prisoners of conscience. But disregard for human rights and the absence of a real political life continue. In a widely circulated article written shortly [...]