The Syrian government should reveal the fate of the prominent lawyer and rights activist Haytham al-Maleh, 78, who disappeared on October 14, 2009, and should release him immediately and unconditionally if it is detaining him, Human Rights Watch said today.

The Syrian government should free the lawyer and rights activist Muhanad al-Hasani immediately and unconditionally.

The Syrian government should treat all murders alike and not make exceptions for so-called “honor killings,” Human Rights Watch said today. On July 1, 2009, President Bashar al-Assad abolished Article 548 of the Penal Code, which had waived punishment for a man found to have killed a female family member in a case “provoked” by “illegitimate sex acts,” as well as for a husband who killed his wife because of an extramarital affair.

We are writing to express our support for your decision, as reported in the media, to set aside the draft personal status law, which would have continued the unequal treatment of Syrian women.

Syrian authorities should immediately make public the fate of all detainees at Sednaya prison, at least nine of whom are believed to have been killed when military police used lethal force during unrest in the prison last July.

 Syrian authorities should immediately disclose the whereabouts and the reasons for the detention of Ziad Wasef Ramadan and free him unless there is credible evidence that he committed a crime.

We are writing to inquire about the location, well-being and reasons for the detention of Mr. Ziad Wasef Ramadan, a Syrian national detained by Syria's security services since July 21, 2005 apparently in relation to the assassination of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri on February 14, 2005.

Syrian authorities should immediately free Dr. Kamal Labwani, a prominent political and human rights activist, following a UN finding that his detention is arbitrary and thus unlawful.