Abd al-Sattar was born in Aleppo in 1940. A father to four daughters, he was an electrical and communications engineer and an inventor with several patents to his name.

He was arrested in 1975 for his moderate Islamist beliefs and released in 1977. He was arrested again for the same reason in 1979 and endured horrible torture at the Tadmur prison and interrogation centers until his release in 1996.

He traveled to Saudi Arabia in the fall of 2004 to visit relatives and perform the umra pilgrimage. He was arrested upon his return to Syria, on November 27, 2004, and charged with offering material aid to the families of detainees or those who had disappeared into the Syrian prison system 28 years ago.

He was severely tortured during interrogation and placed in solitary confinement for long periods, leading initially to heart problems and then other illnesses in prison. His health deteriorated and he could not obtain adequate medical care.

An exceptional State Security court sentenced him to death on April 2, 2006, under Law 49/1980; his sentence was later reduced to 12 years in prison with hard labor, a fine, and the revocation of his civil rights.

His health was critical in Sednaya prison: he was almost paralyzed and suffered severe renal failure. Qattan never engaged in any form of violence. He was arrested at work the first time, at home the second time, and on the border the third time, upon his return to the country.

The Syrian authorities released Qattan on June 12, 2007, after his health deteriorated to the point of no return. He had kidney failure, which required dialysis three times a week. Doctors advised him to travel abroad for a kidney transplant, but the Syrian security and political authorities banned him from travel and thus caused his death.

The SHRC had asked the Syrian authorities to allow Qattan to travel abroad for life-saving treatment, but received no reply.

The SHRC offers its condolences to the family of Abd al-Sattar Qattan, who endured arbitrary, unjust arrest and travel bans until his death. The SHRC considers him a martyr of conscience, belief, and noble humanitarian work. The Syrian authorities bear responsibility for the pain he endured and his tragic end.

The SHRC continues to condemn arbitrary arrests for reasons of opinion, belief, or conscience and asks the Syrian authorities to put an end to such arrests, infringements on liberties, and travel bans.

Syrian Human Rights Committee

Source: www.shrc.org

August 26, 2008