Faeq al-Mir arrest controversy

The Faeq al-Mir arrest controversy refers to the arrest, imprisonment, and calls for release of Faeq al-Mir, leader of the Syrian People’s Democratic Party, after he telephoned Elias Atallah, a Lebanese politician critical of Syrian policies there. In the call, taped by Syrian Intelligence forces, al-Mir gave condolences to Atallah regarding the assassination of Pierre Gemayel, Lebanon's Minister of Industry. Al-Mir was detained by Syrian security forces at his home in Latakia on December 13, 2006, and charged in March 2007 with "undertaking acts that weaken national sentiment during times of conflict" and "communicating with a foreign country to incite it to initiate aggression against Syria or to provide it with the means to do so." On December 31, 2007, Damascus's First Criminal Court ruled him guilty of "circulating false or exaggerated news which would weaken the morale of the nation" and sentenced him to three years in prison, though the duration was immediately reduced to 18 months. Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, criticized the arrest and demanded al-Mir's unconditional release.

Background Having worked together for communist organizations in the mid-1980s, Faeq al-Mir and Elias Atallah boasted a close relationship at the time of the arrest. Al-Mir, a human rights activist, led the left-wing People’s Democratic Party, an unauthorized party critical of the Syrian government. Atallah was the leader and sole parliamentarian of the Democratic Left Movement, a leftist Lebanese party. The two conversed over the phone several times prior to the arrest. They often lamented the assassinations of anti-Syrian Lebanese figures like Samir Kassir. Syrian authorities detained and imprisoned ten activists who signed the Beirut-Damascus Declaration petition in May 2006. The call was taped by Syrian intelligence forces, known as the Mukhabarat. The second charge bears a life sentence The court elected to consider al-Mir's detention before the trial as part of his prison term. Amnesty International judged al-Mir a "prisoner of conscience" and called for "his immediate and unconditional release."

Al-Mir was released from prison on July 13, 2008 after spending a year and a half in prison.

During the Syrian Uprising Faeq al-Mir became actively involved in the Syrian Revolution right from the beginning. As a result, he went into hiding in Ghouta near Damascus to avoid arrest by the security agencies of the Syrian government. However, on Monday October 7, 2013, he was arrested during a visit to the city of Damascus.

Faeq al-Mir is known among supporters of the Syrian opposition with the title "al-e'mem" (Levantine Arabic: العميم, meaning "the uncle") in recognition for his lifelong political activism against the dictatorship of Al-Assad family in Syria.