Syrian Dissident Nizar Nayouf
Nayouf was arrested in January 1992, following a government crackdown on Syria's nascent human rights movement that began with the arrest of activists in December 1991. Authorities held Nayouf's wife and baby daughter hostage to induce him to turn himself in. He was tortured in detention, which has left him with permanent physical injuries. The Supreme State
Security Court sentenced Nayouf to ten years in prison in March 1992, following an unfair trial. He has been held in solitary confinement under punishing conditions at Mezze military prison in Damascus.
Human Rights Watch to Diplomats in Damascus: Push for Prisoner's Immediate Release