Syrian Arab Republic Country of Origin Information (COOI) Report COI Service 11 September 2013 Syrian Arab Republic 11 September 2013 Contents Preface Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background information 1. Geography ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Maps ...................................................................................................................... 1.06 2. Economy ............................................................................................................... 2.01 Currency and exchange rate ............................................................................... 2.07 3. History 1946-2012 ................................................................................................. 3.01 The census of Al-Hasaka province: 1962 and Arabization: 1960s-1970s ........ 3.02 The Baath party seizes power: 1963 ................................................................... 3.04 The reign of Hafez al-Assad: 1970-2000 ............................................................. 3.06 The Muslim Brotherhood rebellion: 1976-1982 .................................................. 3.08 The annexation of the Golan Heights: 1981 ....................................................... 3.09 The reign of Bashar al-Assad 2000 to the present ............................................ 3.10 The ‘Damascus Spring’: June 2000-February 2001 ........................................... 3.11 Increased opposition and subsequent clampdown: 2003-2007 .......................... 3.12 Elections and the Presidential referendum: April and May 2007 ........................ 3.16 Continued clampdown: June 2007- end of 2010 ................................................ 3.17 Start of unrest in March 2011 - 2012 .................................................................. 3.19 Government concessions 2011, elections and constitutional revision 2012 ....... 3.24 4. Constitution .......................................................................................................... 4.01 Supreme Constitutional Court............................................................................. 4.06 5. Political system .................................................................................................... 5.01 Human Rights 6. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 6.01 7. Security situation ................................................................................................. 7.01 Armed Opposition ................................................................................................ 7.06 Syrian National Council and Syrian Free Army .................................................. 7.09 Al-Nusra Front .................................................................................................... 7.12 Areas of conflict ................................................................................................... 7.16 Violations in the conduct of hostilities ............................................................... 7.18 8. Security forces ..................................................................................................... 8.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 8.01 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.04 Defections .......................................................................................................... 8.05 Internal Security Forces (ISF) .............................................................................. 8.08 Police, Gendarmerie and Desert Guard/Frontier Force ...................................... 8.08 Shabbiha and People’s Army/Popular Committees ............................................ 8.11 Security and intelligence forces .......................................................................... 8.18 Overview ............................................................................................................ 8.18 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 8.21 ii This COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 31 July 2013. 11 September 2013 Syrian Arab Republic Arbitrary arrest and detention ............................................................................. 8.25 Torture ................................................................................................................ 8.31 Surveillance ........................................................................................................ 8.41 Surveillance abroad ....................................................................................... 8.48 Extra-judicial killings & ‘disappearances’ ............................................................ 8.49 Alleged Syrian involvement in the ‘disappearance’ of Lebanese nationals and Palestinians ............................................................................................. 8.55 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 8.58 9. Military service ..................................................................................................... 9.01 Recent presidential declarations about military service ................................... 9.10 Reservists ............................................................................................................. 9.17 10. Abuses by non-government armed forces ......................................................... 10.01 Extra-judicial killings ............................................................................................ 10.02 Arbitrary arrest and detention ............................................................................. 10.06 Torture ................................................................................................................... 10.09 Hostage taking ...................................................................................................... 10.11 11. Judiciary ................................................................................................................ 11.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 11.01 Anti-Terrorism Court ........................................................................................... 11.04 The Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) ....................................................... 11.06 Independence ....................................................................................................... 11.07 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 11.10 Emerging local improvised judicial systems ..................................................... 11.15 12. Arrest and detention – legal rights ..................................................................... 12.01 13. Prison conditions ................................................................................................. 13.01 Abuses in prisons ................................................................................................ 13.05 14. Death penalty ........................................................................................................ 14.01 15. Political affiliation ................................................................................................. 15.01 Freedom of political expression .......................................................................... 15.05 Freedom of association and assembly ............................................................... 15.09 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 15.14 National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces ................... 15.17 The Syria National Council (NCC) ...................................................................... 15.18 National Co-ordination Committee (NCC) ......................................................... 15.19 Islamist/Salafist political activists ........................................................................ 15.20 Al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun (Muslim Brotherhood) .................................................... 15.21 Kurdish political activists .................................................................................... 15.27 16. Freedom of speech and media ............................................................................ 16.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 16.01 Print media ............................................................................................................ 16.12 Radio and television ............................................................................................. 16.16 Journalists ............................................................................................................ 16.20 Internet freedom ................................................................................................... 16.26 17. Human rights institutions, organisations and activists ...................................