Free Michel Kilo Now - Enough Already

Reporters Without Borders reiterated his call for the release of journalist and writer Michel Kilo after his trail was postponed for the second time today. A new hearing has been set for 19 February.

“Kilo is 67 years old and has now been held for more than nine months awaiting trial,” the press freedom organisation said. “There is no justification for his detention, which seems to be the prelude to a sham trial. This journalist is facing the possibility of spending the rest of his days in prison just for expressing his views.”

Kilo was arrested on 14 May 2006 after signing a joint statement by intellectuals from Syria and Lebanon called “Beirut-Damascus, Damascus-Beirut,” which called for a change in the relations between the two countries. He has been charged with inciting “religious and racial divisions,” publishing “mendacious and exaggerated reports with the aim of discrediting the government” and “defaming the president and the courts.”

He should have been released on bail on 19 October but an investigating judge brought new charges against him in order to keep him in custody. His trial began on 31 October 2006 but was adjourned the same day to permit examination of various petitions introduced by his defence lawyers. These petitions were rejected by the Damascus appeal court on 19 December.

Reporters Without Borders established a system of sponsorship 16 years ago in which international media are encouraged to adopt imprisoned journalists. More than 200 news organisations throughout the world are currently supporting journalists by regularly calling on the authorities to release them and by publicising their cases.

Kilo has been adopted by Pèlerin, the Almería Press Association, the Calafell City Hall and various forums.

The above is copied from http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=20588 and appeared on Jan 23.

A Dear friend of mine has reminded of that trial (I was too busy following the insanity in Lebanon/Gaza and Iraq), she was there and she got to talk to Michel who was happy to see his family and friends in court away from the rotten smell of prison.  He, Michel Kilo, sends his regards and thanks all the people who are sincerely trying to help him get released.  I hope some people who helped in the past, read this and try hard to restart the efforts that were done following the arrest. 

Now to my views, if Syria is the big brother or Sister to Lebanon as they claim then there is nothing wrong in asking for better relations between both countries…as for the regime which holds secret negotiations left and right with Israel, nothing wrong with that except it shows the regime hypocrisy! who are on the other side jailing Syrian national people calling for good healthy relations with Lebanon the little sister(far from inciting sectarianism and causing strife in that country to fuel its destruction) or for better freedom of speech for fellow Syrians.

Or for people who are jailed for questioning the regime’s abuse of power and its wide corruption like Dr Aref Dalila and Kamal Labwani. 5 yes 5 Billions that’s American $$$$ we are talking about, only is the fortune of the late Jamil al Assad (Hafez’s brother and Bashar’s uncle), one of the main Assads Mafia figures (there is also Rifaat another brother who is richer, that is old guard mafia, the new guard includes Rami Makhlouf) and his two groups of children and wives are fighting for it. And no Mr. Jamil is no Bill Gates, he accumulated his wealth all by illegal means, nothing got imported to Syria by Sea without him taking a commission….that is your 5 Billion $ which is now in Swiss and other banks. That is only one case of where Syrian money disappears. That is why we have a starving country where half of its people can’t find bread to buy and when they do they thank Assad for his steadfastness against American imperialism and his strength against Zionism. In my opinion, there is nothing better than the Assad Baathist system to serve the destruction of the region, a trouble maker who wants no one to advance. So it is ironic that the regime that pretends to stand up to American and Israeli plans gets its main backing for legitimacy not from his people but from Israeli generals. Also it is very ironic that the regime that attacks the US at any occasion is busy trying to gain back the cards of Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq. THE REGIONAL ROLE so they can be relevant once again in getting America’s attention. Go figure.

Anyway to keep it short, the Syrian prisoners (TY Yaman for creating a new Site for Liberties and Prisoners Profile) if they served a purpose for their detention in the regime eyes, they are now useless and expired, so the sooner they release them the better it is. Michel Kilo deserves to be home and does not enjoy being in prison!

Update: for arabic readers this post from Reem reflects so well on the bad situation in  Lebanon and Palestine. Also Abu Kareem (English)eloquently summarizes Hizballa double game and role. While I am very upset with Michel Aoun and his stupidity once again, turning into a mafia thug, baathist style and betraying his base, this article says it all.

سيد الموت والتخلف
الشيعي المقموع
لا يستطيع حزب الله العيش في دولة حضارية طبيعية متوازنة شأنه شأن النظام السوري الذي لا يستطيع العيش إلا بذريعة مقاومة اسرائيل كي يسكت شعبه وتخويفه بعدو يتربص به وفي الحقيقة أن المشكلة هي أن نظام حزب الله الايراني ونظام البعث السوري متخلفان من القرون الوسطى ولا يمكن لهما إقناع اتباعهمابالسير ورائهما إلا بالتهديد والتخويف. كان الله بعون الشيعة الحضاريين المحبين للحياة والسوريين الطبيعيين الذين يريدون العيش بكرامةأمام ثقافة الموت والقتل والدواليب السوداءكوجوههم والمحترقة كضمائرهم والمهترئة كعقولهم

For the first time ever, I put an arabic title to one of my posts. Because It is mainly directed to an arabic audience. The title means “The Master of Death and Backwardness/Ignorance”.

 I found this great comment on Elaph by one of the readers “Oppressed Shite” on the following link which is an editorial about the Mask Falling from my dear Ass**le Nasralla.

 Here is the Translation of the comment above:

 Hizballah can’t live in a balanced and civilized normal state, similar to the Syrian regime that can’t survive without using the resisting Israel excuse in order to silence its people and scare them with a relentless enemy waiting to attack.

The Truth is that the source of the problem is that the Hizballa Iranian regime and the Syrian Baathist regimes are ignorant and from the middle ages. They can’t convince their followers to follow but by Threats and Fears. May God help the civilized life loving Shites and the normal Syrians that want to live with dignity against the cutlure of Death, Murder and black burned Tires. Black like their faces (the regimes), burned like their conscience, rotten like their minds. 

TY My dear Shite and God help us and help Lebanon and the region from the suicidal trouble making mentality of the blackmailers of Iran and Syria. What contribute to this problem is that the US and Israel to a degree enjoy and relish the divisions in the region, the sectarianism and the rivalries of different groups and communites. It even nurture those problems but leaving trouble makers like Iran and Syria and the Islamic extremists fully functional. But the wise Syrians and Lebanese and other arabs don’t see that, the ones that support the troubles and call it resistance only see what they want to see (that their regimes are the ones to trust) so without their will or knowledge help destroy the region.

My God, there seem to be no hope. Wake up enlightened people and renounce the stupid realities that keep us from flourishing and advancing. PEACE.

Year 2006, I ventured online through my blog into politics and defense of human rights. I thought it would be very simple and very easy to let people know how wrong things are some times. I needed to explain How we need to stand together to help eliminate injustice and improve our societies. I got a lot of friendly warnings not to embark because of the risks, the headaches and that nothing will change anyway.

Not only it was hard to gain sympathizers, but I realized how the various dictators including our own Mr Bashar Al Assad control the societies with an iron fist and does not stop at anything that seems helpful to their control including killing, lying, torturing, murdering, terrorizing, brainwashing, playing sectarian games, using religion, you name it. It turned out you can control the ignorant Arab masses with words such as fake dignity and honor, divine victories, standing up to imperialism, I am the good guy but all others are traitors, stay with me because I offer security “But indeed I am the one who is the trouble maker and I offer nothing positive”. It is so easy to sell anything in the name of religion or we are under attack.

Syrian politics turned out to be a big headache since people have different opinions or mix up the issues and believe that for some unknown reason keeping Michel Kilo or others in prison is crucial to the National security of the country!!!! I was disgusted sometimes by the arguments of people and how the reasons for keeping people in prison kept changing and kept offering justifications! I was also not encouraged to see people not push for their release saying that the Syrian regime is under international pressure or under survival!!! war and once that is eased then everything will become perfect and all the wrongs would be corrected!

Not only Syrian politics and the way people thought was twisted and did not help the country, but Syria meddled big time in Lebanese, Palestinian and Iraqi politics and security. Iran and Syria versus Israel and the US are to blame for destroying Lebanon. The Lebanese along with the Arab liberal hopes and dreams in Peace, Freedom and Prosperity for Lebanon were dashed. Prosperity and freedom in Lebanon which would spread to Syria and the rest of the region is a big red line and a no-no for them. Iran is using Syria as a gate to dominate the region and that is not a good sign for anyone including the people that see Israel as the only evil in the region. Iran or Syria do not care about Israel,Israel is perfect for them to camouflage their negative ambitions and plans. The Iranian and Syrian regime are a big danger to the region.

Meanwhile I can’t stand any news coming from bloody Iraq anymore. The Palestinians are enjoying fighting among themselves forgetting that they are only losing more and more and by their actions they are liquidating the Palestinian cause. The Palestinian cause that Nasralla and his masters love to use to destroy the rest of Lebanon.

But the Lebanese, the Syrians, the Palestinians and the Iraqis and all the loving life people will stand together each in their own way to not let evil plans destroy us. The Syrian regime should know that people’s live, freedom and prosperity is not a commodity in their hand. They are humans like us and they will be judged now and in their after life. Oppression does not last.

Even though it was gloomy and sad for the prisoners in Syria and their families during this festive period of Christmas/Eid/New Year; We should not lose hope, we should not forget,we should keep pushing for their immediate release. I got the following message from Michel Kilo in Prison through some friends:
To all of you I hold your hands strongly and tell you all that I am okay. Be strong. Please do your best in not letting your friends forgetting those in Prison.

Happy New Year to all of you and May 2007 be more peaceful than the dark 2006. Freedom for Michel, Anwar, Aref, Kamal, Habib and everyone else who is suffering because of political oppression, may God keep them strong.