One month ago, a branch of the air force intelligence in Damascus summoned the citizen, Misbah Aladdin, to interrogate him, and he has been since been in prison. The security agency has also been reluctant to inform his father that his son is being held within the branch.
It is believed that Aladdin was summoned for investigation then arrested for his negative vote in the recent presidential referendum according to a report by the Syrian Human Rights Organization. This report said that this citizen is still being held incommunicado since his arrest on this branch. Furthermore, the agency refuses to disclose the existence of the citizen and prevents his family to visit him.
There are no secret ballots in Syria for the presidential referendum. Representatives of the security apparatus can easily see who votes “No” and often look at the ballot before the electors put them into the ballot box. The consequence is that, in most cases, citizens vote “Yes” by fear, and those who dare to vote “No” fear punishment.
Some reports had indicated that Lebanese citizens from the Bekaa were transported to Syria on referendum day, probably by Hizbullah, to take part in the Syrians vote.