Syrian Blogger Sentenced to Three Years in Jail

blind biker writes "The AP reports (via the Herald Tribune) of Tarek Bayassi, a 24-year old Syrian blogger sentenced to three years in jail for 'undermining the prestige of the state and weakening national morale.' The original sentence was six years but it was commuted on appeal. Apparently, this isn't an isolated case in Syria."

Guys, we're talking about SYRIA here

[sm62704]

Why does this surprise anybody?

Since 1963 the country [wikipedia.org] has been governed by the Baath Party; the head of state since 1970 has been a member of the Assad family. Syria's current president is Bashar al-Assad, son of Hafez al-Assad, who held office from 1970 until his death in 2000.[1]

...Upon assuming power, Hafez al-Assad moved quickly to create an organizational infrastructure for his government and to consolidate control.

Since when have any citizens of any dictatorship ever had freedom of speech? If he were Chinese his family would be paying for a bullet.

Weakening national morale

[esocid]

Well shit, if that were a crime here about half the population, myself included, would be guilty.
We're gonna fail! (Whatever you are thinking, just assume I mean that.)

Re:somebody should explain the court

[orzetto]

You and that court have a different appreciation of the term "Prestige": you think that a state has prestige when it respects human rights and allows freedom of speech. They think that prestige means that everybody is so scared of the state that no one dares to speak against it.

Anyway, in my country a journalist just got media-lynched because he pointed out that the new leader [wikipedia.org] of the upper house of the Parliament was a business associate of convicted mafiosi. I suppose Power always has a way to get rid of inconvenient trouble-makers, every country in its own way.

Re:Guys, we're talking about SYRIA here

[jackharrer]

You need to understand that you cannot rule countries like Syria in the same way as US. It's also pretty true about, for example, Russia.

If you don't have strong government there they will descend into anarchy and civil war. Look at Lebanon and you'll understand. Whole middle east is like that. Don't just watch what they show on CNN as quite a big part of transmission is just lost during editing.

My brother-in-law is Syrian (albeit Christian, not Muslim) and I met his family many times. Situation there is more normal that you'd ever dreamed of. It's just that politics needs to be done in this way.

I don't agree with jailing of the poor bastard, but that's how it works there. I'd prefer less restrictive government, but that will not happen anytime soon.

Re:Guys, we're talking about SYRIA here

[marco.antonio.costa]

He is in jail not because he was told to shut up. He's in jail because the jury was improperly instructed. There have been many other cases like his where the question at hand (that there is no law creating the present state of the income tax) was brought up. The problem is that the government has decided that the improper instruction of the jury is proper. So appeals canâ(TM)t work so long as everyone in the bureaucratic chain actually agrees on something. Furthermore, this is not something that our Congressmen have power over, and I guarantee that they are not going to pass a new law banning income tax no matter how many people bitch. The most you could hope for is a real law creating the income tax.

ya ya, but half the reason the jury was improperly instructed is that the defendant couldn't present his defense ( to the jury ) because he was told to shut up, so he is in jail because he was told to shut up; q.e.d.

That's serious malarkey there. Makes me head spin.

Re:somebody should explain the court

[Anonymous Coward]

Secondly, the BNP seems to be GAINING support lately, not losing it, despite constant media attacks.

Nor suprising when foreign workers seem to take priority over local citizens when it comes to hospital waiting lists, school placements and council housing. At this end of the social ladder, it is unskilled people on low incomes who find themselves being overtaken.

Brand New Leather Jacket [youtube.com]

Nothing Bloody Works [youtube.com]

And even if you are educated, you are only likely to keep your job until a foreign worker applies for it. This has happened to British trained doctors being pushed out of the way by graduates from India. The same has happened to the IT industry, and even the UK games industry. Fortunately, in the latter case, the experienced programmers can set up their own companies.

And at the same time, private pension schemes have been raided [bbc.co.uk], taxes are constantly rising to pay for translators in every government department. [maturetimes.co.uk]. Not forgetting Do-Not-Resusitate orders on elderly patients [dailymail.co.uk]

At the same time, immigration is running at 700,000 people/year [dailymail.co.uk], only matched by an equivalent number of UK nationals leaving.

 

Politics in Syria is like a ghost

[yuri2001]

I was always interested in syrian politics. I've been there last year.

I have walked (yes, by foot) from Damas to Alep and it's really a beautiful and welcoming country. Their sense of hospitality is the best I've come across so far. I walked hundreds of kilometers across the country without being controlled, in fact, I didn't even see the army and hardly the Police. I was expecting much more military presense in a state that is supposed to be so much controled.

Also, I had great long conversations with a lot of syrians about almost any subject, their only taboo is the world "Israel" that you shouldn't pronouce at any time. They use the word "Occupied Palestine" instead. Otherwise, I've been talking about politics and economics and most people are informed and open minded.

There is one thing to take into consideration : the dictatorship is mostly ethnically based. The elite who holds the economical and political power comes from the Alaouite tribe/chiism wich represents 10% of the syrian population.

For example, in the syrian Army, an alaouite lieutenant might overrule a non alaouite captain's order.

Re:Prestige of the State?

[Anonymous Coward]

"Its reputation has not risen over the years, and it is still a long way from general acceptance. Use regardless instead."

And you will have to accept the fact that you will be viewed as an ignorant git every time you use it.

Re:Guys, we're talking about SYRIA here

[shutdown -p now]

You need to understand that you cannot rule countries like Syria in the same way as US. It's also pretty true about, for example, Russia. If you don't have strong government there they will descend into anarchy and civil war.

I'm Russian. We didn't descend into anarchy and civil war in 90s, despite all the democracy. We did come quite close early on, but by late 90s, things were clearly improving. Of course, that's when the currently ruling "strong hand" elite stepped in and took over, using essentially the same arguments you do here. They've got an added bonus of claiming that the economic improvements that were already on their way can be attributed solely to their "strong hand" policy.