Seif Speaks Out in Court

Opposition leader Riad Seif appeared before an investigative judge on January 31 charged with inciting sectarianism and harming morale in Syria.



According to the website of the Movement for Justice and Development, a diaspora pressure group, the prosecution’s full list of charges is, "belonging to a secret organisation that aims to change the political and economic structure of the state, spreading false news which weakens the nation's morale and national spirit, inciting racism and sectarianism and damaging the state's prestige."



Responding to these charges Seif said in court, "We are seekers of freedom. Today, we are in need of democracy because it is the only way to preserve the unity of the country, make progress, and bolster the state against foreign intervention."



Seif added: "We are not a secret society. All of our actions are public and we want to see democratic change in Syria take place in a calm and secure way. After that, a constitutional assembly can be elected from all sections of Syrian society and from all political forces including the Baath Party to formulate a new constitution appropriate to the coming era."



The accused said the Damascus Declaration group wanted Syria to remain a united state, and Kurdish issues, too, would be “resolved within a national framework. Our Kurdish issue is not like that of Iraq."



Finally, he said his group opposed sectarianism, and cited the fact that its leading members include the Sunni Fida al-Hurani, the Kurd Abdul-Hamid Darwish, Alawi Abdul-Aziz al-Khayir and the Christian Akram al-Bunni.



After Seif made his statement, the judge ordered him to be remanded at Adra Central Prison, joining the ten other Damascus Declaration members detained there.



The Movement for Justice and Development noted that Seif is in need of constant medical attention as he suffers from an advanced form of prostate cancer and blocked arteries.