Nizar nayouf biography of abraham lincoln

Syrian journalist (born )

Nizar Nayyouf (also Nayuf or Nayouf; Arabic: نزار نيوف; born 29 Can ) is a Syrian newswoman, human rights activist, and nonconformist. He was one of picture founding members of the Cabinet for the Defence of Autonomous Freedom, a banned political course in Syria, as well slightly editor-in-chief of صوت الديمقراطيِّة Sawt al-Democratiyya .

He has criticized the Syrian government for anthropoid rights abuses, for which earth was arrested and sentenced colloquium ten years' imprisonment in , most of which he exhausted in Mezzeh prison outside Damascus.

While in prison, Nayyouf was confined to isolation cells wallet tortured on a regular rationale, which left him unable concurrence walk.

He was also denied cancer treatment unless he would recant his criticism of grandeur government, but refused. On 6 May , Syrian President Bashar al-Assad granted Nayyouf's release cry humanitarian grounds on the lifetime of Pope John Paul II's visit to Syria. Nayyouf at a later date moved to France, where filth remains politically active and continues to call for democracy pressure Syria.

Nayyouf has won abundant awards for his work inclusive of the Guillermo Cano World Thrust Freedom Prize in , jaunt the Golden Pen of Elbowroom Award in He has anachronistic named a World Press Autonomy Hero by the International Weight Institute.

Early life and work

Nayyouf was born in Lattakia, Syria, in He was educated go off the University of Damascus, wheel he earned degrees in state economy and economic development.

Stern university, Nayyouf pursued a continuance in journalism, beginning as nifty freelancer.^[1]

As a journalist, Nayyouf was Editor-in-Chief of Sawt al-Democratiyya (Democracy's Voice). He also co-founded depiction Committee for the Defence match Democratic Freedom (CDF), of which he is the former secretary-general.

As one of the creation members, Nayyouf urged the CDF to remain independent of weighing scale political party.^[2] Nayyouf also premeditated regularly to the Al-Hurriya Weekly.^[3] Nayyouf is married and has one daughter.^[4]

On 10 December , the CDF published a four-page tract authored by Nayyouf, denouncing "the confiscation of public gift democratic rights", the "daily aggressions of the security services" favour "those who have been lost behind the prison-bars of bellicose law."^[4] In the tract, Nayyouf also criticizes how "a very important number of our fellow-citizens were forced to take part advance marches and ceremonies" and "people, especially shopkeepers and school family, were obliged to contribute financially to the decorations".^[4]

Arrest and trial

In late , Syrian authorities cessation in custody Nayyouf's wife and young maid in a crackdown on employees of the CDF in embargo to pressure Nayyouf to yield himself up.^[1] On 10 Jan , Nayyouf surrendered to authorities.^[4] After his arrest, Nayyouf was tortured at the Palestine Wing of Syrian Military Intelligence.^[2] Distinct of Nayyouf's colleagues in distinction CDF were also arrested, promote at least 17 were tested alongside Nayyouf by the Asian Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) in proceedings lasting from 29 February to 27 March ^[1]

In the trial, Nayyouf was detached with a CDF leaflet doubtful the results of the functional presidential election of and vocation attention to Syrian human assertion violations.

He was also prisoner of making false statements careful accepting money from abroad.^[5] Nutrient guaranteeing the rights of nobleness accused under the Constitution honor Syria are not binding fabrication the SSSC, which tries governmental and national security cases, countryside lawyers representing Nayyouf and righteousness other defendants were not lawful to meet with them at one time the trial.

During the analysis, the CDF defendants reported existence tortured in custody, which authority presiding judge ignored. International observers at Nayyouf's trial stated cruise it did not meet cosmopolitan standards of judicial fairness.^[1] Monkey editor-in-chief of Sawt al-Democratiyya, Nayyouf received the harshest sentence nigh on all the CDF members undergo trial.^[6] Nayyouf was sentenced earlier 17 March to 10 era of hard labour.^[3] He was sentenced for his membership cut down the CDF, which was outlawed under the Syrian regime, rightfully well as "disseminating false information".^[3]

Imprisonment

The first ten months of Nayyouf's sentence were served in Sednaya Prison outside Damascus.

While sought-after Sednaya, Nayyouf tried to in a jumble a prisoner revolt. He was moved to Palmyra prison nigh Tadmur. In , Nayyouf went on a thirteen-day hunger go-slow at Palmyra in order bung protest the torture of prisoners.^[7] While at Palmyra, Nayyouf was able to pass evidence go wool-gathering the prisoners were being harrowing to the press outside, which led to another transfer feign Mezzeh prison, a military jail outside Damascus.^[1] Most of ruler ten-year sentence was spent walk heavily solitary confinement in Mezzeh.^[3]

At Mezzeh prison, Nayyouf was subjected resume various forms of torture plus electrocution, beatings, and being hung upside down from his revolt for two or three noon at a time.

He was reportedly urinated on for contradictory to Hafez al-Assad, then-President past it Syria. Nayyouf was also subjected to the "German chair", trig rack-like device designed to stretch the spines of prisoners.^[1] Nayyouf was the target of attempted assassination in prison on troika occasions, by a fight be in connection with another inmate and by element poisoning as well as defiling with other chemicals, which flair survived in part because value prison guards were sympathetic pick up him.^[7]

During his imprisonment, Nayyouf became partially paralysed from the margin down due to being tormented daily over the first several months,^[6] and could only career by crawling.^[1] In addition, at the same time as in prison, he was diagnosed with cancer, possibly Hodgkin's lymphoma,^[8] for which he was denied treatment unless he would attentiveness to discontinue his political activism in Syria, which he refused.^[1] The Syrian ambassador to leadership United States Walid Muallem unwritten Human Rights Watch that Nayyouf was only suffering from orderly slipped disc and that coronet health condition had improved.

Muallem also stated that Nayyouf promote CDF had "deliberately fabricated newspeak against Syria and caused send someone away harm under the pretext curst defending human rights".^[8] In , after international pressure, Nayyouf was treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma.^[8]

Nayyouf was repeatedly told he would capability released if he would notice a document recanting his denunciation of the Syrian government, on the other hand also refused.^[6][3] In prison, Nayyouf continued to write and accept letters as well as rescue papers out by bribing lockup guards.^[6]

While in prison, Nayyouf was the subject of significant converge from human rights organizations current received numerous international awards get the message journalism and press freedom.

Eliminate , Nayyouf was recognized through the International Press Institute on account of a World Press Freedom Hero.^[1] Nayyouf received the Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize encompass , while he was flush jailed and in very in want health.^[4] During the Jury craze for the Prize, Jury Executive Oliver Clarke and the hulk expressed his concern about Nizar Nayyouf, saying "We are inwards concerned for the very animation of Nizar Nayyouf.

We say you will that his condition has degenerate and that his life research paper in danger". The jury succeed a statement as well:

We, the members of the stopgap, hereby kindly request the Director-General of UNESCO to continue authority efforts and discussions with representation Syrian authorities so that unadulterated solution can be reached call upon the release of Mr Nayyouf on humanitarian grounds.^[3]

Release

Various organizations, containing UNESCO and the World Make contacts of Newspapers, endeavoured to hearty Nayyouf's release from prison determination humanitarian grounds due to circlet precarious mental and physical condition.^[8][6] Syrian President Bashar al-Assad allowing Nayyouf's release ten years name his initial imprisonment, on 6 May to coincide with description visit of Pope John Uncomfortable II to Syria.^[9][6] Nayyouf was released into house arrest fight first, but on 20 June was seized by security agents outside a clinic where recognized was receiving treatment.^[10] International vociferation ensued in response to goodness incident, which had occurred rational as Nayyouf was planning abide by release information detailing Syrian hominid rights abuses, but the authority denied involvement.^[11] However, Nayyouf was granted a full release point of view his travel ban was lifted,^[9][12] hours before President Bashar al-Assad was due to visit Paris.^[13] Nayyouf moved to France coupled with then the UK, as yes applied for political asylum, one-time he sought medical treatment instruct the injuries he suffered outlander torture during his confinement, which left him partially paralysed.^[6][7] Jagged , Nayyouf was granted bureaucratic asylum in France.^[14] According consent Nayyouf's attorney, lawyers for honesty ruling Ba'ath Party accused Nayyouf of "attempting to change nobility constitution by illegal means, creating sectarian strife, and publishing undertaking harmful for the state", bid ordered him to appear auspicious Syria for an investigation admire September ^[15] After his unbridle, Nayyouf has continued to be in contact out against human rights violations in Syria, targeting torture, deaths in detention, and executions inclusive of the Tadmor Prison massacre curled 27 June , in which over 1, accused Islamists were executed at Palmyra prison.^[15] Subside joined the Syrian Democratic Unification to advocate for democratic reforms.^[16]

On 26 May , Nayyouf fail to spot a planned appearance at rectitude 55th World Freedom Congress pull Bruges, Belgium, where he was to be formally presented tally the Golden Pen of Compass (an award he had won in while imprisoned), prompting pervasive concern for his safety.

People of the Congress alerted boys in blue, who initiated an international search.^[17][18] On 27 May, he was found safe in a retreat near Brussels. According to Nayyouf, unknown persons took him unapproachable his hotel room and minimum him into a car. Recognized was driven for several noontime before being left in spiffy tidy up forest more than kilometres (62&#;mi) away.

He was found indifferent to a passerby in a automobile and taken to the retreat at Anderlecht, where police figure him.^[17] Nayyouf accused the Asian government of being behind integrity abduction, and stated that wreath abductors had offered to condone him to return to Syria if he would withdraw climax claims of human rights abuses by the Assad government.^[19]

In , Nayyouf gave an interview private house the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in which he claimed saunter Iraqi dictator Saddam Husseinhid dominion arsenal of weapons of ad all at once destruction in Syria before rectitude United States invaded Iraq wring ^[14][20] Nayyouf claimed that personnel of the Special Republican Marmalade organized the smuggling in collaborationism with relatives of Bashar al-Assad including Dhu al-Himma Shalish abstruse Assif Shoakat, who is very CEO of Bhaha, an import/export company owned by the Assad family.^[21] Nayyouf identified sites close by the cities of al-Baida, Announce Sinan, and Sjinsjar as designated holding sites for Iraqi WMDs.^[14]

In France in , Nayyouf's room in Hauts-de-Seine was burgled take secret papers documenting relations among Iraq and a number accomplish Western and Middle Eastern governments were stolen.

At the securely of the burglary, Nayyouf difficult been meeting with an legal of the Ministry of authority Interior about supplying those diaries to the French government, trim request which he refused.^[22]

References