News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International
AI Index: MDE 24/036/2005 1 June 2005
Syria: Leading Islamic cleric "tortured to death"
A prominent Islamic religious leader has been tortured to death, according to information received by Amnesty
International. Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi died on 30 May, 20 days after he 'disappeared', apparently detained
by Syrian Military Intelligence at an unknown location.
"The Syrian authorities should launch an immediate, independent investigation into Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi's
death in custody," said Neil Sammonds, Syria Researcher at Amnesty International. "The results must be made public and
those responsible for his torture should be brought to justice."
Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi was an outspoken member of the Kurdish community who practised as an imam in the
city of Qamishli in north-eastern Syria. He was a critic of violence and terrorism and recently called for reforms in
Syria and for more dialogue between religious groups. In February and March 2005 he travelled to Norway, Brussels, and
Germany, apparently in connection with his work on building relations between the EU and Kurdish community.
Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznaw "disappeared" after leaving the Centre for Islamic Studies in Damascus on 10 May. The
Syrian authorities denied that they were holding him but then handed over his body to his family earlier today. It was
being taken back to Qamishli to be buried this evening. The family and body were accompanied by ten Military
Intelligence cars on the journey between Damascus and Qamishli, according to witnesses.
Background
According to Amnesty International's information, Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi is at least the sixth Syrian Kurd
to have died as a result of torture and ill-treatment in custody since March 2004. Amnesty International has not
received information about any investigations into any of these deaths in custody, nor into any other of the scores of
allegations of torture that it has received over many years. The organisation knows of no cases in which officials
responsible for torture have been prosecuted. More than 2,000 people, almost all of them Kurds, were arrested in the
wake of March 2004 disturbances. Most of these were held incommunicado at unknown locations, and about 100 remain in
detention.
For further information, see Amnesty International's March 2005 report, Syria: Kurds in the Arab Republic one year after
the March 2004 event, at http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maadz0aabhr9Jbb0hPub/
Syria: A culture oppressed - the torture and imprisonment of Syrian Kurds - take action!
http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maadz0aabhr9Kbb0hPub/
ENDS