Case Study: Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi
Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi
Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi, an imam, or Islamic religious leader, reportedly died on May 30, 2005 from injuries sustained during torture. He was allegedly tortured while detained at an unknown location by Military Intelligence personnel, and was admitted to the Tishrin Military Hospital in the capital Damascus on May 27, 2005, where he later died. Amnesty International has no further information at present on the circumstances of his death.
Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi's body was handed over to his family on June 1, 2005 and is due to be taken to his home town Qamishli (in a predominantly Syrian Kurdish area in north eastern Syria) for burial on the same day. Ten cars containing Military Intelligence personnel reportedly accompanied relatives taking Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi's body on the journey from Damascus to Qamishli.
Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi, a religious scholar and an outspoken member of the Syrian Kurdish community, "disappeared" after leaving the Center for Islamic Studies in Damascus on May 10, 2005. The Syrian authorities had denied that they were holding him.
A well-known religious scholar, Sheikh Muhammad Ma'shuq al-Khiznawi was well known for his criticism of violence and terrorism, and was an outspoken and popular figure within the Kurdish community. He had recently called for reforms in Syria and for more dialogue between religious groups. In February and March 2005 he traveled to Norway, Brussels and Germany, apparently in connection with his work on building relations between the EU and the Kurdish community. During his visit several TV channels interviewed him.
Background Information:
At least six Kurds have reportedly died as a result of torture and ill treatment in custody since March 2004. More than 2,000 people, almost all of them Kurds, are believed to have been arrested in the wake of March 2004 clashes. Most of these were held incommunicado at unknown locations, and about 100 remain in detention in spite of the Presidential Amnesty issued at the end of March 2005 when 312 Kurds were ordered released. Amnesty International has documented widespread reports of torture and ill treatment of detainees, including children.
