Aref Dalila

Professor Aref Dalila ( _ar. عارف دليلة) is a Syrian economics professor and former Dean of the Faculty of Economics in Damascus University. He was arrested for his political activity during the Damascus Spring period.

Life

Born in Latakia, Dalila holds a doctorate in economics from Moscow University. He worked as an economy expert for the Development Fund of Kuwait in the 1980s. He returned to Syria to serve as dean of the economics at Damascus University until he was banned from teaching in 1998, allegedly due to his criticism of the regime's economic policies.

He was arrested in Damascus on 9 September 2001, reportedly following a lecture in which he called for democracy and transparency. He has been adopted by Amnesty International as a ‘prisoner of conscience’. He served a 10 year prison sentence before being released by a special presidential order in August 2008.

The detention is beleived to be due to his role in the so-called "Damascus Spring", the title used for the period of political activism that followed following the death of former president Hafez Assad in June 2000 and what seemed like an inheritance of the presidency by his son, incumbent president Bashar Assad. "Damascus Spring" was powered by several Syrian intellectuals and members of the opposition. After a few months, Syrian authorities started a campaign against the civil society activists arresting tens of them. Most of whom were released in the following years, although many more were taken in.

Dalila gave his infamous [http://friendsofsyria.net/documents/012.html last lecture] on Syria's economy at the Atasi Forum in Damascus on 2 September 2001. He was arrested a week later.

Health Concerns

Dalila is reported to be in poor health, suffering from diabetes and heart disease. This condition has been further exacerbated by the poor living standards within the prison as well as exposure to harsh treatment. He started a hunger strike on 12 July 2005 in protest against his solitary confinement and ill-treatment. He recently underwent a heart surgery.

Release from Prison

Dalila was released from prison on August 7, 2008. Soon after his release he told the BBC that his views had not changed and he would continue to voice them. Ammar Qorabi of the National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria said that "Aref Dalila was freed in line with a presidential pardon after having spent seven years in jail." [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7547647.stm]

References

External links

* [http://www.englishpen.org/writersinprison/rapid_actions/drarefdalila/ English Pen]
* [http://www.amnesty.org/en/region/middle-east-and-north-africa/east-mediterranean/syria Amnesty International]
* [http://friendsofsyria.net/documents/012.html Last Lecture]