The personal story of Syrian human rights activist Nizar Nayouf is emerging, perhaps due to his recent disclosures about Syrian Baathist complicity in sheltering Saddam Hussein's looted financial assets and even weapons of mass destruction (as noted here and here earlier). Nayouf was tortured by Syrian security forces, and now he's being betrayed by the French government.
Despite his injuries Nayouf, an award-winning journalist, poet and human rights activist, remains committed to the cause that has guided his life for two decades: promoting a free and democratic Syria. Only now Nayouf has a new and surprisingly inhospitable base for his pro-democracy activities: Paris.Posted by Alan at January 19, 2004 08:26 PMNayouf was granted political asylum in France in July 2002 and fully expected his vocal opposition to Syrian dictator Bashar Assad's regime to be welcomed by his new hosts. After all, it was former French prime minister Lionel Jospin who, in 2001, urged Assad to release Nayouf so he could receive proper medical attention in France.
Assad, eager to strengthen Syria's European ties, quickly consented. But after a promising start, Nayouf's French experience quickly turned sour.
Despite repeated requests by Nayouf during the last 18 months, the French government has refused to grant him access to official documents that would allow him to travel freely and continue his human rights work. Moreover, upon asking French authorities last month for the political refugee passport he was legally granted in 2002 (and is due to him by French law), Nayouf was denied yet again and told, much to his surprise, that he "already had" a Syrian passport.
As a result, Nayouf remains confined to Paris, denied permission to attend Syrian human rights conferences, where he has often been invited as a featured speaker.
via the Jerusalem Post