 Tal Al-Malouhi |
Ms. Tal Malouhi, 19, is a 2nd year university student at the Faculty of Literature and lives with her family in the Homs, central Syria.
Ms. Malouhi was arrested on 27 December 2009 by what is thought to have been the Political Security services, after she writing various articles on her blog, including poems and comments on social issues. The subject of her writings mainly concentrated issues in Palestine and did not touch on Syrian political issues.
Two days after Ms. Tal Malouhi's arrest, a number of Political Security agents came to her house and confiscated her laptop, some CDs and a mobile phone - all without a warrant.
Alkarama sent ans urgent appeal to the Special Rapporteur on Torture, informing him that Ms. Malouhi had been held incommunicado for more than nine months without any legal proceedings following a summons by the State Security services in Damascus.
Since her arrest the security agencies have not let her family communicate with her and have not given any reason for her arrest. Her family's repeated requests to the State Security services have been fruitless. However, her family recently found out that she is being held at Duma Women's Prison, although they do not yet know whether they will be able to visit her.
It is worth noting that the Committee against Torture, during discussion of Syria's first periodic report, indicated in its closing remarks (CAT/C/SYR/CO/1) issued on 12 May 2010, noted that there were still grounds for deep concern regarding the widespread use of torture in Syria against detainees deprived of fundamental safeguards.
Alkarama expresses its concerns that Ms. Tal Malouhi is still to this day exposed to torture or other types of maltreatment due to her being held incommunicado without any legal safeguards.