Syria: Child not presented to court, life at risk

16 year-old, Ahmed Ismael al’-Akkad, was arrested during government raids on his neighbourhood, al-Midan, in the capital Damascus on 20 November 2012. He has been held incommunicado ever since. he should have been brought before a juvenile court in mid-June, but he was not presented to court and his whereabouts are unknown.

After his arrest his family did not know his whereabouts, but received a note from him about 40 days later, reportedly smuggled by released detainees. The note said that he was held at the Palestine branch, a Damascus detention centre run by Military Intelligence, and that his health was deteriorating as he was not receiving medication for his asthma and the prison was cramped and humid.  

According to a local contact, Ahmed Ismael al-'Akkad was accused of supporting and having contact with "terrorists". An investigating judge from the Anti-Terrorism Court decided on 12 June 2013 to refer him to a juvenile criminal court in Damascus and he was expected to appear there within two days. Ahmed Ismael al-'Akkad has not yet appeared in court and although contacts believe that he may be held at the Military Intelligence branch in the Damascus suburb of Qaboun, his whereabouts have not been confirmed.

You can take action for Ahmed Ismael al’-Akkad by writing to the President and Minister of Defence at the addresses below -

• Urging the Syrian authorities to reveal Ahmed Ismael al-Akkad's whereabouts, grant him immediate access to his family and lawyer, ensure that he is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and give him any medical care he may require, including asthma medication ;
• Urging them to ensure that he is treated in accordance with human rights standards outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including principles for juvenile justice

President
Bashar al-Assad          
Fax is the only reliable communication method.
Please do not send letters
Fax: 00963 11 332 3410 (keep trying; if voice answers, say "Fax")
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Defence
Brigadier General Fahd Jassem al-Freij
Fax: 00963 11 223 7842 (keep trying)
00963 11 666 2460 (keep trying)
(if voice answers, say "Fax")
Salutation: Your Excellency

For more information and background to this case see the attached urgent action below.