On 26/10/2008, the Syrian security agencies prevented the Syrian worldly-known director Muhammad Malas from travelling outside the country. Mr. Malas was surprised at Damascus airport by a notice from one security agency issued on 19/9/2008 forbidding him from departing to Paris, then to Rome.
When he visited the concerned security agency he couldn’t attain any information about the reason of this restriction imposed on him, but he applied for lifting this unjustified measure, specially because this prevention will cause him big financial and moral losses as he is working nowadays on directing a film entitled “handkerchiefs” for Al-Jazeera children TV Channel. Besides, he’s committed to a previously booked audio studio and cinema laboratories in Paris and Rome.
The National Organization for Human Rights in Syria considers preventing the director Malas from travel unlawful and anti-constitutional as it wasn’t issued by the due judicial authorities but by a security agency without any justification, and reminds the Syrian authorities that the security systems in Syria have prevented a big number of Syrian citizens from traveling abroad and obstructed their business and violated their rights that the Syrian constitution has guaranteed.
As the organization condemns this behavior which contradicts the constitution, it calls upon the Syrian authorities to cancel all restrictions imposed on the citizens’ travel as long as they were not issued by the constitutional specialized judiciary departments.
National Organization for Human Rights in Syria 27-10-2008