{"items":[{"item":{"name":"Ahmad Abu al-Khair","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/ahmad-abu-al-khair-2.png","status":"Released","date_from":"2011-03-23","date_to":"2011-03-23","blog_url":"http:\/\/ahmadblogs.net\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/is.gd\/pz8MdD","background":"

Abu al-Khair is veteran blogger who started writing in 2005. His blog \u0645\u0644\u062a\u0642\u064a\u0627\u062a \u0623\u062d\u0645\u062f Ahmadblogs<\/em> covers a plethora of subjects ranging from book reviews to comments on recent uprisings in the Arab World. He is a co-founder of the popular Syrian blogs aggregator Almudawen, and an administrator at Ektob, a blogging platform. Abu al-Khair has a B.A. in Islamic Studies and Arabic. He specializes in media, and according to his Facebook profile he's interested in alternative media and citizen journalism.<\/p>\n

He was arrested on February 20, 2011 and released four days later; he was then arrested again on March 23, 2011.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/ahmad-abu-al-khair","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.513000","lon":"36.292000"}},{"item":{"name":"Ali Mahmoud Othman ("Jeddo")","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/ali_othman.png","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2012-03-28","date_to":"2012-03-28","campaign_url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FREEDOM.ALI.OTHMAN","background":"

Ali Mahmoud Othman, known among his friends as \"Jeddo\" (Grandfather), is a citizen journalist from the media office of Baba Amr, the most active office in the country. He was seized by Syrian regime forces in Aleppo, where he had been forced to flee. Othman has been instrumental in assisting those covering the conflict in Homs and in helping evacuate international journalists from inside the neighborhood of Baba Amr. His friends and colleagues believe he is being subjected to severe torture.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/ali-mahmoud-othman-jeddo","city":"Aleppo","country":"Syria","lat":"36.215549","lon":"37.159279"}},{"item":{"name":"Allam Fakhour","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Allam_Fakhour.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2006-02-23","date_to":"2006-02-23","blog_url":"http:\/\/syriandomari.blogspot.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/action.humanrightsfirst.org\/human_rights_first\/alert-description.html?alert_id=5297892","background":"

Between January 26, 2006 and March 18, 2006, seven young activists, Husam Melhem (22), Tareq al-Ghourani (25), Ayham Saqr (31), Allam Fakhour (29), Maher Ibrahim Esber (26), Omar al-Abdullah (21) and Diab Siriyeh (21) have been arrested by the Syrian authorities for being part of an independent pro-democracy discussion group and publishing articles on the Internet criticizing the lack of democracy and freedom in Syria. Some of them were also involved in the creation of an online youth forum.<\/p>\n

Since their arrests, the seven young activists have been held in incommunicado detention and have been subject to torture and harsh treatment.<\/p>\n

On November 26, 2006, the young activists were brought before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) to face charges of \"carrying out activities or making written statements or speeches unauthorized by the government that expose Syria to the risk of hostile operations\" and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news that could undermine the prestige of the State.\"<\/p>\n

On June 17th, 2007, and after an unfair trial in Damascus before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), Allam Fakhour has been sentenced to 5 years prison terms for \u201ctaking action or making a written statement or speech which could endanger the State or harm its relationship with a foreign country, or expose it to the risk of hostile action\u201d (Article 278 of the Syrian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment); and \u201cbroadcasting of false news\u201d deemed to be harmful to the state (Article 287, which carries a maximum sentence of three years\u2019 imprisonment). <\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/allam-fakhour","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.523079","lon":"36.309814"}},{"item":{"name":"Anas Maarawi","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/maarawi_0.png","status":"Released","date_from":"2011-07-01","date_to":"2011-07-01","blog_url":"http:\/\/anasonline.net\/","campaign_url":"https:\/\/freeanas.wordpress.com\/","background":"

Anas Maarawi is a Syrian blogger who, in addition to writing a popular personal blog, founded Ardroid<\/a>, the first Arabic website specializing in the Android OS for smartphones.<\/p>\n

Maarawi was arrested on 1 July 2011 in Kafarsousah, Damascus.<\/p>\n

On Sunday, 28th of August 2011, Maarawi was freed after spending 59 days in detention.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/anas-maarawi","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.519299","lon":"36.313450"}},{"item":{"name":"Ayham Saqr","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Ayham_Saqr.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2006-02-23","date_to":"2006-02-23","blog_url":"http:\/\/syriandomari.blogspot.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/action.humanrightsfirst.org\/human_rights_first\/alert-description.html?alert_id=5297892","background":"

Between January 26, 2006 and March 18, 2006, seven young activists, Husam Melhem (22), Tareq al-Ghourani (25), Ayham Saqr (31), Allam Fakhour (29), Maher Ibrahim Esber (26), Omar al-Abdullah (21) and Diab Siriyeh (21) have been arrested by the Syrian authorities for being part of an independent pro-democracy discussion group and publishing articles on the Internet criticizing the lack of democracy and freedom in Syria. Some of them were also involved in the creation of an online youth forum.<\/p>\n

Since their arrests, the seven young activists have been held in incommunicado detention and have been subject to torture and harsh treatment.<\/p>\n

On November 26, 2006, the young activists were brought before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) to face charges of \"carrying out activities or making written statements or speeches unauthorized by the government that expose Syria to the risk of hostile operations\" and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news that could undermine the prestige of the State.\"<\/p>\n

On June 17th, 2007, and after an unfair trial in Damascus before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), Ayham Saqr has been sentenced to 5 years prison terms for \u201ctaking action or making a written statement or speech which could endanger the State or harm its relationship with a foreign country, or expose it to the risk of hostile action\u201d (Article 278 of the Syrian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment); and \u201cbroadcasting of false news\u201d deemed to be harmful to the state (Article 287, which carries a maximum sentence of three years\u2019 imprisonment). <\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/ayham-saqr","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.518499","lon":"36.304321"}},{"item":{"name":"Diab Sirieyeh","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Diab_Sirieyeh.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2006-03-18","date_to":"2006-03-18","blog_url":"http:\/\/syriandomari.blogspot.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/action.humanrightsfirst.org\/human_rights_first\/alert-description.html?alert_id=5297892","background":"

Between January 26, 2006 and March 18, 2006, seven young activists, Husam Melhem (22), Tareq al-Ghourani (25), Ayham Saqr (31), Allam Fakhour (29), Maher Ibrahim Esber (26), Omar al-Abdullah (21) and Diab Siriyeh (21) have been arrested by the Syrian authorities for being part of an independent pro-democracy discussion group and publishing articles on the Internet criticizing the lack of democracy and freedom in Syria. Some of them were also involved in the creation of an online youth forum.<\/p>\n

Since their arrests, the seven young activists have been held in incommunicado detention and have been subject to torture and harsh treatment.<\/p>\n

On November 26, 2006, the young activists were brought before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) to face charges of \"carrying out activities or making written statements or speeches unauthorized by the government that expose Syria to the risk of hostile operations\" and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news that could undermine the prestige of the State.\"<\/p>\n

On June 17th, 2007, and after an unfair trial in Damascus before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), Diab Sirieyeh has been sentenced to 5 years prison terms for \u201ctaking action or making a written statement or speech which could endanger the State or harm its relationship with a foreign country, or expose it to the risk of hostile action\u201d (Article 278 of the Syrian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment); and \u201cbroadcasting of false news\u201d deemed to be harmful to the state (Article 287, which carries a maximum sentence of three years\u2019 imprisonment). <\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/diab-sirieyeh","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"35.403380","lon":"39.287109"}},{"item":{"name":"Firas Saad","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2006-07-30","date_to":"2006-07-30","blog_url":"http:\/\/www.ahewar.org\/eng\/","background":"

Firas Saad, 30, was a Syrian poet arrested on July 30, 2006 for posting an article on a website titled \u201cWhere is the Syrian army from the Israeli War on Lebanon?<\/a>\u201d in which he criticized the Syrian army\u2019s indifference during the 2006 July War. He was sentenced to four years in prison in April 2008.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/firas-saad","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.518499","lon":"36.304321"}},{"item":{"name":"Habib Saleh","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/habib-salh.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2008-05-20","date_to":"2008-05-20","blog_url":"http:\/\/www.elaph.com\/","background":"

Habib Saleh was arrested in the northwestern city of Tartus on May 6 th, 2008, and was held in incommunicado detention for three months. On 15 March, 2009, a Damascus court has sentenced the sixty-one years old Habib Saleh to a three-year prison sentence for \"weakening national sentiments\" (Article 285 of the Penal Code) and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news which could affect the morale of the country\" (Article 286). According to Amnesty International<\/a> \"The charges on which he was convicted related to several articles on domestic political issues which he had written and published on the internet and in which he had criticized policies of the Syrian government and expressed support for a prominent opposition figure.\"<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/habib-saleh","city":"Tartus","country":"Syria","lat":"35.288673","lon":"38.496094"}},{"item":{"name":"Husam Ali Mulhim","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Husam_Ali_Mulhim.jpeg","status":"Released","date_from":"2006-01-26","date_to":"2011-03-24","blog_url":"http:\/\/syriandomari.blogspot.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/action.humanrightsfirst.org\/human_rights_first\/alert-description.html?alert_id=5297892","background":"

Between January 26, 2006 and March 18, 2006, seven young activists, Husam Melhem (22), Tareq al-Ghourani (25), Ayham Saqr (31), Allam Fakhour (29), Maher Ibrahim Esber (26), Omar al-Abdullah (21) and Diab Siriyeh (21) have been arrested by the Syrian authorities for being part of an independent pro-democracy discussion group and publishing articles on the Internet criticizing the lack of democracy and freedom in Syria. Some of them were also involved in the creation of an online youth forum.<\/p>\n

Since their arrests, the seven young activists have been held in incommunicado detention and have been subject to torture and harsh treatment.<\/p>\n

On November 26, 2006, the young activists were brought before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) to face charges of \"carrying out activities or making written statements or speeches unauthorized by the government that expose Syria to the risk of hostile operations\" and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news that could undermine the prestige of the State.\"<\/p>\n

On June 17th, 2007, and after an unfair trial in Damascus before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), Husam Ali Mulhim has been sentenced to 5 years prison terms for \u201ctaking action or making a written statement or speech which could endanger the State or harm its relationship with a foreign country, or expose it to the risk of hostile action\u201d (Article 278 of the Syrian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment); and \u201cbroadcasting of false news\u201d deemed to be harmful to the state (Article 287, which carries a maximum sentence of three years\u2019 imprisonment). <\/p>\n

According to the Wall Street Journal, Mulhim was released<\/a> in March 2011.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/husam-ali-mulhim","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.523079","lon":"36.309814"}},{"item":{"name":"Hussein Ghrer","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/screen_shot_2011-10-25_at_3.06.14_pm.png","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2012-02-15","date_to":"2012-02-15","blog_url":"http:\/\/ghrer.net\/blog\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/freehussein.blogspot.com\/","background":"

On 15 December 2011, Hussein Ghrer was arrested along with 14 others in a raid on the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression.<\/p>\n

Prior Arrest:According to a Facebook campaign<\/a> calling for his release, Syrian blogger Hussein Ghrer left his home on Friday, October 24, and never came back.<\/p>\n

Ghrer is a thirty-year-old married father of two and has blogged and participated in numerous solidarity campaigns for Palestine, as well as the blogger campaign against the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights, and a campaign for solidarity with victims of honor crimes.<\/p>\n

The most recent post on Ghrer's blog focuses on the arrest earlier this year of now-released Syrian blogger Anas Maarawi in the context of freedom in Syria.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Facebook campaign, activists have put together a blog<\/a>\n (in Arabic), in which they call for Syrian authorities to disclose \ninformation about Ghrer and \"release those detained in violation of the \nlaw and human rights.\"<\/p>\n

On November 17, Ghrer was referred to a civil court in Damascus<\/a> and transferred to Central Prison in Adra to await his trial, scheduled for November 19.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/hussein-ghrer","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.519299","lon":"36.313450"}},{"item":{"name":"Karim Arbaji","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/karim-arbaji4_0.jpg","status":"Released","date_from":"2007-07-06","date_to":"2010-01-07","blog_url":"http:\/\/www.akhawia.net\/","background":"

Syrian blogger Karim Arbaji was arrested on July 6, 2007 by military intelligence officers and was held without a trial for two years, until September 13, 2009, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for \"publishing mendacious information liable to weaken the nation\u2019s morale\u201d under article 296 of the criminal code. Arbaji helped to run the online forum Akhawia<\/a>. The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information claims that Arbaji's posts on the forum prompted his arrest and conviction. Human Rights Watch<\/a> and Reporters Without Borders<\/a> have reported on and condemned Arbaji's conviction.<\/p>\n

According to the Syrian Human Rights Observatory<\/a>, Karim Arbaji has received a presidential pardon on January 7th, 2010 and has been freed from jail,<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/karim-arbaji","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.797409","lon":"37.441406"}},{"item":{"name":"Khaled Elekhetyar","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/khaled-elekhetyar.jpg","status":"Threatened","date_from":"2011-03-23","date_to":"2011-03-23","blog_url":"http:\/\/freelancitizen.blogspot.com\/","background":"

Khaled Elekhetyar is a blogger and freelance journalist who writes for, among other things, banned site All4Syria.  His Facebook account was hacked on March 23, and the same day, friends reported him missing.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/khaled-elekhetyar","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.513000","lon":"36.292000"}},{"item":{"name":"Maher Ibrahim Isbir","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Maher_Ibrahim_Isbir.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2006-02-23","date_to":"2006-02-23","blog_url":"http:\/\/syriandomari.blogspot.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/action.humanrightsfirst.org\/human_rights_first\/alert-description.html?alert_id=5297892","background":"

Between January 26, 2006 and March 18, 2006, seven young activists, Husam Melhem (22), Tareq al-Ghourani (25), Ayham Saqr (31), Allam Fakhour (29), Maher Ibrahim Esber (26), Omar al-Abdullah (21) and Diab Siriyeh (21) have been arrested by the Syrian authorities for being part of an independent pro-democracy discussion group and publishing articles on the Internet criticizing the lack of democracy and freedom in Syria. Some of them were also involved in the creation of an online youth forum.<\/p>\n

Since their arrests, the seven young activists have been held in incommunicado detention and have been subject to torture and harsh treatment.<\/p>\n

On November 26, 2006, the young activists were brought before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) to face charges of \"carrying out activities or making written statements or speeches unauthorized by the government that expose Syria to the risk of hostile operations\" and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news that could undermine the prestige of the State.\"<\/p>\n

On June 17th, 2007, and after an unfair trial in Damascus before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), Maher Ibrahim Isbir has been sentenced to 7 years prison terms for \u201ctaking action or making a written statement or speech which could endanger the State or harm its relationship with a foreign country, or expose it to the risk of hostile action\u201d (Article 278 of the Syrian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment); and \u201cbroadcasting of false news\u201d deemed to be harmful to the state (Article 287, which carries a maximum sentence of three years\u2019 imprisonment). <\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/maher-ibrahim-isbir","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.518499","lon":"36.304321"}},{"item":{"name":"Mohamed Ghazi Kannass","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/mhmd_ghazi_kannas-4f0ebdd7df449.jpeg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2012-01-03","date_to":"2012-01-03","blog_url":"http:\/\/mkannass.wordpress.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/7rpmk2t","background":"

The 26-year old Syrian blogger Mohamed Ghazi Kannass has been arrested in Damascus on january 3rd, 2012. According to RSF \"Kannass was arrested by members of the security services as he was leaving his home in the Damascus suburb of Kafr Sousseh. It is not known where he is being held. Born in Saraqib, in the northern province of Idlib, he is a graduate of the communications faculty at Damascus University.\" <\/p>\n

He was active on Facebook and kept his own blog, called Kalemah Insan (\u201cA man\u2019s word\u201d), in which he wrote many articles. He recently stopped posting \u201cbecause of the current events in Syria.\u201d<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/mohamed-ghazi-kannass","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.519299","lon":"36.313450"}},{"item":{"name":"Mohammad Al-Abdallah","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Mohammad_al-abdullah.JPG","status":"Released","date_from":"2006-03-23","date_to":"2006-10-04","blog_url":"http:\/\/raye7wmishraj3.wordpress.com\/","background":"

Mohammad Al-Abdallah's brother and father have both been jailed for dissident speech in Syria.  Following their arrests, Al-Abdallah formed the Committee for Families of Political Prisoners, only to find himself arrested shortly afterward.  He now blogs in exile from Lebanon.  His brother Omar remains imprisoned. <\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/mohammad-al-abdallah","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.518499","lon":"36.309814"}},{"item":{"name":"Muhened Abdulrahman","status":"Unknown","date_from":"2006-09-07","date_to":"2006-09-07","blog_url":"http:\/\/www.rezgar.com\/","background":"

Muhened Abdulrahman has been arrested on 7 September 2006 for posting articles on independent news websites, and urged diplomats in posts in Damascus to intervene on behalf of the four cyber-dissidents now in Syrian jails.<\/p>\n

According to RSF, \"Abdulrahman, 25, was picked up by security services in Damascus on his return from the village of Qamishly, in Syrian Kurdistan, where he had interviewed a Kurdish political leader. His family has had no news of him since his arrest.<\/p>\n

The young graduate from Damascus University of Journalism was working for independent news sites http:\/\/www.Rezgar.com<\/a> and http:\/\/www.Syrianforum.org<\/a>. His work included numerous interviews and profiles of Syrian political figures.\"<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/muhened-abdulrahman","country":"Syria","lat":"35.231261","lon":"38.759766"}},{"item":{"name":"Omar Al-Abdallah","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/omar_abdullah.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2006-03-18","date_to":"2006-03-18","blog_url":"http:\/\/www.akhawia.net\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/action.humanrightsfirst.org\/human_rights_first\/alert-description.html?alert_id=5297892","background":"

Between January 26, 2006 and March 18, 2006, seven young activists, Husam Melhem (22), Tareq al-Ghourani (25), Ayham Saqr (31), Allam Fakhour (29), Maher Ibrahim Esber (26), Omar al-Abdullah (21) and Diab Siriyeh (21) have been arrested by the Syrian authorities for being part of an independent pro-democracy discussion group and publishing articles on the Internet criticizing the lack of democracy and freedom in Syria. Some of them were also involved in the creation of an online youth forum.<\/p>\n

Since their arrests, the seven young activists have been held in incommunicado detention and have been subject to torture and harsh treatment.<\/p>\n

On November 26, 2006, the young activists were brought before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) to face charges of \"carrying out activities or making written statements or speeches unauthorized by the government that expose Syria to the risk of hostile operations\" and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news that could undermine the prestige of the State.\"<\/p>\n

On June 17th, 2007, and after an unfair trial in Damascus before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), Omar Al-Abdallah has been sentenced to 5 years prison terms for \u201ctaking action or making a written statement or speech which could endanger the State or harm its relationship with a foreign country, or expose it to the risk of hostile action\u201d (Article 278 of the Syrian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment); and \u201cbroadcasting of false news\u201d deemed to be harmful to the state (Article 287, which carries a maximum sentence of three years\u2019 imprisonment).<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/omar-al-abdallah","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"35.073167","lon":"38.452148"}},{"item":{"name":"Razan Ghazzawi","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/razan-ghazzawi.jpg","status":"Released","date_from":"2011-02-15","date_to":"2011-02-15","blog_url":"http:\/\/razanghazzawi.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/tinyurl.com\/c5tlff7","background":"

On 15 February 2012, Razan Ghazzawi was arrested along with 14 others during a raid on the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression.<\/p>\n

Previous Arrest:On 4 December 2011 Syrian authorities have arrested blogger Razan Ghazzawi on the Syrian-Jordanian border. Ghazzawi was on her way to Amman to attend a workshop on press freedom in the Arab world. Her arrest has drawn criticism and anger from bloggers and activists around the world, who called for her immediate release.<\/p>\n

Ghazzawi is a US-born Syrian blogger and avid Twitter user, who has contributed to both Global Voices Online and Global Voices Advocacy. She is also one of the few bloggers in Syria who writes under her real name, advocating for the rights of bloggers and activists arrested by the Syrian regime, as well as the rights of gays and minorities.<\/p>\n

Eight days after her arrest, Ghazzawi was charged with a list of crimes - refuted by the blogging community and described as a farce.<\/p>\n

Among her accusations were \u201cestablishing an organization that aims to change the social and economical entity of the state\u201d and \u201cweakening the national sentiment, and trying to ignite sectarian strife,\u201d reported the Lebanese Daily Star at the time.<\/p>\n

Razan Ghazzawi has been freed after spending 15 days in a Syrian prison. <\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/razan-ghazzawi","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.519299","lon":"36.313450"}},{"item":{"name":"Rokana Hamour","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/ROUKANA_HAMMOUR.png","status":"Threatened","date_from":"2006-10-15","date_to":"2006-10-15","blog_url":"http:\/\/roukana.maktoobblog.com\/","background":"

Roukana Hamour is a Syrian blogger who has repeatedly been threatened, assaulted and kidnapped. She is the daughter of Mohammad Moti\u2019 Hamour, the former deputy of Saudi Air Lines who had his fortune which reached billions evaporate from Syrian banks by alleged forgery. Roukana has been threatened by her brothers and high ranking Syrian officials and officers to be sexually assaulted and raped if she doesn\u2019t give up her share of her father\u2019s fortune and be silent about its suspicious evaporation. Roukana has appealed several times at the office of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz to expose the thievery of her father\u2019s money.On October 15, 2006, Hamour was taken from her home and dragged into the street after being threatened at gunpoint in front of her young children by members of the country\u2019s Criminal Security forces, reportedly for blogging her experiences with the Syrian legal system, exposing administrative, banking and juristic corruption.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/rokana-hamour","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"34.957995","lon":"38.144531"}},{"item":{"name":"Suhair Atassi","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/SUHAIR_ATASSI.jpg","status":"Threatened","date_from":"2010-03-01","date_to":"2010-03-01","blog_url":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/people\/Suhair-Atassi\/100000505551196","background":"

Suhair Atassi is a political activist who runs the Jamal Atassi Forum group on Facebook that's an extension of the banned Jamal Atassi Forum in Syria. The forum calls for political reforms in Syria and the reinstatement of civil rights and the cancellation of the emergency law that has suspended constitutional rights since 1963.<\/p>\n

Atassi has been threatened and harassed by Syrian security more than once and has been ordered to close the online group. She refuses to comply and is believed to be in danger of arrest at any time, and her personal ID card has been confiscated by state security forces.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/suhair-atassi","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.523842","lon":"36.312561"}},{"item":{"name":"Tal al-Molouhi","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/Tal-al-Mallohi.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2009-12-27","date_to":"2009-12-27","blog_url":"http:\/\/talmallohi.blogspot.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pages\/asmy-tl-19-ama-atqlny-nzam-bshar-alasd-alswry-bla-dhnb\/157361424277644","background":"

Tal al-Molouhi is 19 year old Syrian blogger who was arrested for an article that she published online. Syrian State Security summoned her on December 27th 2009. Following her arrest, security officers also seized her personal computer from her parents' house.  <\/p>\n

After being held in solitary confinement for nearly a year, Al-Moulouhi's family was allowed to visit her<\/a> in September 2010.  In October of 2010, she was sentenced to five years in prison for \"divulging information to a foreign state,\" a crime of \"high treason.\"<\/p>\n

<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/tal-al-molouhi","city":"Homs","country":"Syria","lat":"34.746879","lon":"36.730042"}},{"item":{"name":"Tariq al-Ghorani","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/tareq_gorani.jpg","status":"Under Arrest","date_from":"2006-02-20","date_to":"2006-02-20","blog_url":"http:\/\/syriandomari.blogspot.com\/","campaign_url":"http:\/\/action.humanrightsfirst.org\/human_rights_first\/alert-description.html?alert_id=5297892","background":"

Between January 26, 2006 and March 18, 2006, seven young activists, Husam Melhem (22), Tareq al-Ghourani (25), Ayham Saqr (31), Allam Fakhour (29), Maher Ibrahim Esber (26), Omar al-Abdullah (21) and Diab Siriyeh (21) have been arrested by the Syrian authorities for being part of an independent pro-democracy discussion group and publishing articles on the Internet criticizing the lack of democracy and freedom in Syria. Some of them were also involved in the creation of an online youth forum.<\/p>\n

Since their arrests, the seven young activists have been held in incommunicado detention and have been subject to torture and harsh treatment.<\/p>\n

On November 26, 2006, the young activists were brought before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) to face charges of \"carrying out activities or making written statements or speeches unauthorized by the government that expose Syria to the risk of hostile operations\" and \"broadcasting false or exaggerated news that could undermine the prestige of the State.\"<\/p>\n

On June 17th, 2007, and after an unfair trial in Damascus before the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC), Tareq al-Ghourani has been sentenced to 7 years prison terms for \u201ctaking action or making a written statement or speech which could endanger the State or harm its relationship with a foreign country, or expose it to the risk of hostile action\u201d (Article 278 of the Syrian Penal Code, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment); and \u201cbroadcasting of false news\u201d deemed to be harmful to the state (Article 287, which carries a maximum sentence of three years\u2019 imprisonment). <\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/tariq-al-ghorani","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.504759","lon":"36.298828"}},{"item":{"name":"Tariq Baiasi","portrait":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/sites\/default\/files\/free_tariqgif.jpg","status":"Released","date_from":"2007-07-07","date_to":"2010-08-16","blog_url":"http:\/\/alzohaly.ektob.com\/","background":"

On Sunday 11-5-2008 the State Security Court in Damascus stated its verdict on the Syrian blogger Tariq Baiasi (26)  who was held in detention since 7-7-2007. Tariq was detained for leaving a comment on websites disfavored by the Syrian government. Free Tariq Campaign condemned the State's verdict and asks for freedom to the Syrian blogger:<\/p>\n

The State Security Court in Damascus has sentenced Tariq to three years after lessening it from six years to three years (originally, Tariq received three years for each of the following charges):<\/p>\n

1- Dwindling the national feeling.<\/p>\n

2-Weakening the national ethos.<\/p>\n

The militarily security arrested Tariq on 7-7-2007 for leaving a comment on websites considered \u201csuspicious\u201d by the Syrian government.<\/p>\n

Since Tariq\u2019s family and their lawyer were reluctant to comment on the State\u2019s verdict, we wish that the human rights\u2019 NGOs uncover details about this news.<\/p>\n

Tariq has been released on August 16, 2010 after spending three years in jail.<\/p>","permalink":"http:\/\/threatened.globalvoicesonline.org\/blogger\/tariq-baiasi","city":"Damascus","country":"Syria","lat":"33.523079","lon":"36.276855"}}]}