Syria is a police state modeled after Nicolae Ceaușescu's Romania, who was a close friend and adviser of Hafez Assad.
Experts say human rights unlikely to improve as laws that are equally dreaded remain in place.
Hugh Macleod and a reporter in Syria
Al-Jazeera
"Syrian authorities may have decided to lift the dreaded emergency laws in force in the country since the ruling Baath Party took power in 1963, but experts and analysts say the move will do little to improve human rights.
According to them, many of the draconian charges on which opponents of the regime are routinely imprisoned exist either within the Penal Code itself or as special laws or articles in the constitution, and courtesy them, Syria would continue to be run as a virtual police state.
"There are 15 branches of security in Syria and all of them will remain immune from prosecution, even after emergency laws are lifted. The security services are above the law," said Haithem Maleh, a former judge and veteran human rights campaigner, imprisoned many times in Syria for his work......
For at least one protestor in Banias, taking to the street on Tuesday night after news broke of the cabinet decision to lift emergency laws, the concession was too little too late.
"It wasn't the government who lifted the emergency law, it was the people," he said. "According to the emergency law the security forces are not justified in using massive force against people, but they do. They were shooting before it was lifted and they were shooting after it was lifted.""
Hugh Macleod and a reporter in Syria
Al-Jazeera
"Syrian authorities may have decided to lift the dreaded emergency laws in force in the country since the ruling Baath Party took power in 1963, but experts and analysts say the move will do little to improve human rights.
According to them, many of the draconian charges on which opponents of the regime are routinely imprisoned exist either within the Penal Code itself or as special laws or articles in the constitution, and courtesy them, Syria would continue to be run as a virtual police state.
"There are 15 branches of security in Syria and all of them will remain immune from prosecution, even after emergency laws are lifted. The security services are above the law," said Haithem Maleh, a former judge and veteran human rights campaigner, imprisoned many times in Syria for his work......
For at least one protestor in Banias, taking to the street on Tuesday night after news broke of the cabinet decision to lift emergency laws, the concession was too little too late.
"It wasn't the government who lifted the emergency law, it was the people," he said. "According to the emergency law the security forces are not justified in using massive force against people, but they do. They were shooting before it was lifted and they were shooting after it was lifted.""
No comments:
Post a Comment