Far From Justice

Syria’s Supreme State Security Court

I. Summary

II. Methodology

III. Overview of the Supreme State Security Court

A. Legal Authority and Procedures

1. Restricted Role of Lawyers

2. Temporary Suspension of SSSC Trials following Riot in Sednaya Prison

B. History of the SSSC

C. Profile of Current Defendants before the SSSC

D. International and national Criticisms of the SSSC

IV. The SSSC’s Recent Activities: Ongoing Violations

A. Reliance on Coerced Confessions

B. Criminalizing Freedom of Expression

1. Trials of Writers and Bloggers

2. Trials of Individuals who Insult the President

C. Overbroad Accusations against Suspected “Salafis”

D. Criminalizing Kurdish Activism

E. Trial of Minors

V. Monitoring of the SSSC by the Diplomatic Community

VII. Recommendations

To the Syrian Government

To the Arab League

To the European Union and its Member States

VIII. Acknowledgments

IX. Appendices

Annex I – List of Judgments Issued by the SSSC (Jan. 07 to June 08)