The trial of two Syrian human rights activists, who have been detained for a period of eight months was adjourned Tuesday after defense lawyers demanded their cases be held in open court.
Diplomats, journalists and family members were not permitted to enter the State Security Court in Damascus Tuesday where Walid al-Buni, a doctor, and lawyer Habib Issa were standing trial on charges of inciting sectarian riots, defaming the government and threatening national unity.
They were arrested on September 9th, along with eight others, in a government crackdown on dissent and political salons, gatherings at which Syrian thinkers are believed to have reviewed pro-democratic reform in the hard-line Arab country.
Al-Buni's case is due to be heard on June 12th, while Issa's was adjourned until June 19th, AP reported.
The adjournments followed defense team threats that they would not take the cases unless their trials were open to the public.
Aktham Nueisa, who heads the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights in Syria, told reporters that the trials are "politically motivated" and the court's "verdicts are unfair and illegal."
In a statement issued earlier this week, the Human Rights Society in Syria called upon the government to stop politically motivated arrests and conduct open trials of dissidents in custody. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
