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Student jailed for web pics

Posted: 14/10/04 By: Jemima Kiss

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A Syrian journalism student has been sentenced to three years in prison for posting photographs on a website, reports press freedom group Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF).

In a trial at Syria's state security court on 10 October, authorities found 29-year old Massoud Hamid guilty of 'belonging to a secret organisation' and 'trying to attach part of Syria's territory to a third country'.

The photos showed a peaceful Kurdish demonstration outside UNICEF's Damascus headquarters, and Mr Hamid, who is a member of Syria's Kurdish minority, had posted the images on Amude.com, a Kurdish language website based in Germany.

"The trial was completely unwarranted as he was just exercising his right to circulate information freely on the Internet," said RSF.

Mr Hamid was arrested during an exam at Damascus University last year, and has already spent 14 months in prison.

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See also:
RSF: http://www.rsf.org

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