Syrian blogger jailed for "spreading false news"

Middle East News

Sep 13, 2009, 12:03 GMT

Damascus - Syria's Supreme State Security Court on Sunday sentenced a blogger to three years in prison on charges of 'spreading false news,' a Syrian human rights organisation reported. The court found that Karim Arabji, a 31-year-old business consultant, was guilty of 'spreading false or exaggerated news that could harm the morale of the country,' in connection with remarks posted by users of a website he edited, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Officers from Syria's military intelligence service arrested Karim Arabji in June 2007. He has been in detention since then. Syrian and international human rights organisations have repeatedly called on the Syrian government to abolish the Supreme State Security Court and to release Arabji and other men convicted by it. 'Given the Syrian security courts' record of handing down stiff penalties for individuals who may disagree with the policies of the ruling Baath Party, we urge the Syrian authorities to release Arabji, as well as all others detained for speaking their mind,' the London-based watchdog Amnesty International said.

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