[b]Damascus Declaration Cites New Law Allows for Crimes Against Humanity[/b]
Washington - October 21, 2008 (RPS News) -- The al-Nida'a web site (run by the Damascus Declaration Syrian activists) issued a communiqué highlighting the cold blooded murder of two Syrian activists (Sammy Maatouk and Johnny Suleiman) because of the presidential decree No. 64 signed on September 30, 2008 by Baschar al-Assad and which provides state immunity to the police and the security forces while they carry-out their duties.
Referring to the deliberate killings of the Syrian activists, al-Nida'a said: "Before even the ink dried out on the presidential decree No. 64, which by-passed the Parliament, the Syrian security issued a death sentence against Sammy Maatouk and Johnny Suleiman, while they were sitting in front of their home in the Al-Mushayrefeh village, by spraying them with machine gun fire".
Al-Nida'a claims that the new law will be used, not for the purpose it was intended, but to stifle further the liberties of Syrians and to "justifiably abuse the powers already beyond reason enjoyed by our Security people".
It also attacked the judiciary system for its silence in the face of a new law that would inevitably makes judicial decisions less independent and transparent.
The communiqué went further by claiming that the Syrian people have been waiting for a long time for relief from the austere conditions they live under with the emergency laws in place and prisoners of conscience languishing in jail; but instead of more relief, the government has normalized killing in Syria using laws as the tool of choice.
Al-Nida'a called for review of the government's policies before the government finds itself upon an abyss.
