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Alert

Authorities threaten to exile journalist Nizar Nayyouf's family

(RSF/IFEX) - In a letter to President Bachar al-Assad, RSF expressed its deep concern after the Syrian authorities threatened to exile journalist Nizar Nayyouf's family. RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard asked the president to use his "influence so that these intimidation measures brought to bear against the journalist's family cease." Ménard added: "Using such behaviour in order to muzzle Nizar Nayyouf is an act of cowardice."




According to information collected by RSF, on 7 November 2001, the authorities informed Ali Nayyouf, Nizar Nayyouf's father, that his family had fifteen days to officially condemn the journalist's statements. They are threatened with exile if they refuse. In addition, a representative of the mayor of Lattaquia told his family that their lands had been seized by the state.

Already in mid-October, one of Nizar Nayyouf's brothers, Amjad Nayyouf, who worked as a teacher in a governmental establishment, was dismissed without explanation. Another brother, Mamdouh, was punished in the same way. Pressure has previously been put on the brothers to break their solidarity with Nizar Nayyouf. They have repeatedly refused.

Moreover, Hayyane Nayyouf, another brother, who is currently a student at Tischreen University in Lattakia, was threatened by university officials. They warned him that he would never pass his exams unless he stated officially that all of his brother's statements were lies.

Released from jail in May after spending nine years in detention, Nizar Nayyouf now lives in France. An arrest warrant was issued against him in September. The journalist is charged with "trying to change the constitution by illegal means and issuing false reports from a foreign country". Since his release, he has given numerous interviews to the Arab press, such as the Qatari television station Al-Jazeera, in which he has criticised the human rights situation in Syria.

RSF notes that Syrian President al-Assad, is considered by the organisation to be one of the world's press freedom predators. One journalist, 'Adel Isma'il, is currently imprisoned in Syria. Arrested in 1996, he was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment.