Date Type Case No Country SYR 3/2013 28/06/2013 Syrian Arab JUA Republic Mandate(s) Summary of the allegation transmitted Reply Arbitrary detention; Freedom of expression; Freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Human rights defenders; Independence of judges and lawyers; Terrorism; Torture; 31/03/2014 Alleged acts of reprisal, incommunicado detention and torture and ill-treatment of human rights defenders for their cooperation with the United Nations, its representatives and mechanisms in the field of human rights. According to the information received, several individuals, including Messrs. Mazen Darwish, Hussayn Gharir, Hani Zitani, Abdelrahman Alhamade and Mansour Al-Omari, who were arrested in the context of the raid on the offices of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) on 16 February 2012, spent nine months in incommunicado detention while being refused access to medication. They have reportedly suffered torture and ill-treatment while in detention. Messrs. Alhamade and Al-Omari were reportedly released pending trial. Charges of promoting terrorist acts have been brought against all of them. It is believed that they relate to, and were motivated by, the SCM’s activities in defence of human rights, and that the SCM has been criticized as inciting international mechanisms to condemn Syria in response to its cooperation with various UN human rights mechanisms. Mr Khalil Matouk, a prominent human rights lawyer and Director of the Syrian Centre for Legal Studies and Research, at the time of writing reportedly remained in incommunicado detention with Mr Mohammed Thatha, a colleague. Mr Matouk has represented a number of human rights defenders legally and has submitted information to United Nations special procedures on these and other cases both before and after the start of the Syrian conflict. They were arrested on 2 October 2012 and Mr Matouk’s health has reportedly deteriorated to an alarming level. Previous communications have been sent on both cases dated 20 February 2012 (A/HRC/20/30), 8 May 2012 (A/HRC/21/49), 2 November 2012 (A/HRC/22/67) and 13 May 2013 (A/HRC/24/21). A/HRC/27/72 79