Amnesty International has called for action on behalf of Muhannad al-Hassani, a Syrian human rights defender and lawyer.  He has been detained since July 28 and is facing charges that could have him imprisoned for up to 15 years.  Al-Hassani is a prisoner of conscience detained for his human rights work in Syria, including his work to promote the protection of political prisoners’ rights.

Specifically, Amnesty is calling for the Syrian government to drop all charges against Al-Hassani, ensure that he is not tortured while imprisoned, and refrain from further restrictions on the freedoms of human rights defenders in Syria. Go to: www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/syrian-human-rights-lawyer-faces-prosecution-for-defending-human-rights-20090803