A/HRC/19/58 591. The first one was transmitted on 30 March 2011, jointly with five other special procedures mechanisms, concerning a number of protesters, some of whom were under the age of 18 years old, who were allegedly arrested in the cities and towns of Aleppo, Banias, Dera’a, Douma, Hama, Homs, Latakia, Ma’aran Nu’man and Al-Malkyiah between 8 and 23 March 2011, and whose fates and whereabouts remained unknown. 592. On 6 July 2011, the Government replied to this urgent appeal. The Government emphasized that, since the beginning of the events in March 2011, the competent Syrian authorities have dealt with peaceful demonstrations by those whose demands and goals are reform and combating corruption in a civilized manner reflecting the nature and substance of the relationship between society and state, and have safeguarded those demonstrations until such time as they ended and all the participants had returned to their homes. However the Government also stressed that armed terrorist gangs are appearing on the ground, attacking, terrorizing and killing peaceful demonstrators in order to discredit the public authorities of Syria by portraying them as undertaking bloody operations to suppress the demonstrators. The Government also reported that all those who were detained for perpetrating unlawful acts have been transferred to the judicial authorities in accordance with the provisions of the Syrian Code of Criminal Procedure and in complete conformity with the legislation promulgated in terms of lifting the state of emergency, so that there is no longer any scope in Syria for unofficial detention: suspects are referred to the competent public prosecutor within 24 hours and come under the protection and guardianship of the Syrian judiciary. In most of the cases referred to the courts, the suspects have been released immediately. As for those who have committed acts of sabotage, arson or murder, the competent judicial authorities have prosecuted them in accordance with the provisions of the law, and those who are proven innocent are declared not guilty by judicial judgment, while those whom the courts find have committed such acts are punished in accordance with the provisions of the Syrian Criminal Code. In addition, the Government submitted the principles the measures the Syrian Government has taken and the legislation it has promulgated recently in the framework of promoting and protecting human rights. 593. The second one was transmitted on 26 May 2011, jointly with four other special procedures mechanisms, concerning Messrs. Wael Al-Hamada, who was allegedly arrested at his workplace in Damascus on 11 May 2011; Abdel Rahman Al-Hamada, who was allegedly arrested by agents from the intelligence services on 30 April 2011; Mohammed Hasan al-Labwani, who was allegedly arrested at his home on 2 May 2011, in al-Zabadani, near Damascus; Hassan Abd al-Adhim, who was allegedly arrested at his office in Damascus by State Security agents on 28 April 2011; Omar Qashaash, who was allegedly arrested in Aleppo on 30 April 2011; and Yasser Al-Khayyat, who was allegedly taken to a security detention centre on 11 May 2011. 594. The third one was transmitted on 17 June 2011, jointly with six other special procedures mechanisms, concerning Messrs. George Sabra, Ahmed Maetouk, Abdulrahman Al-Hamada and Fayez Sarah, who were allegedly arrested by security forces between 9 April and 2 May 2011. 595. The fourth one was transmitted on 3 August 2011, jointly with three other special procedures mechanisms, concerning Messrs. Bashar, Mohamed and Ghassan Al Sahyoni, who were allegedly arrested at their home in Mafrak Al Kal’a, Banias, and then taken to an unknown destination by uniformed agents belonging to the Military Intelligence Service, on 12 May 2011. 596. The fifth one was transmitted on 10 August 2011, jointly with five other special procedures mechanisms, concerning Mr. Al Tahhan, who was allegedly arrested at his home, located in Aleppo, by two agents of the Aleppo Air Intelligence Branch in civilian clothing, on 19 July 2011. 117