Syria: Information on the Kurdish People's Union Party (Hazib Atahad Al-shaab Al-Kurdi, or the "Party"); information on the current treatment of its supporters or those found in possession of its, or any other pro-Kurdish, political material

Information on the political party Kurdish People's Union Party (Hazib Atahad Al-shaab Al-Kurdi, the 'Party') could not be found among sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to the 1996 Human Rights Watch's report Syria: The Silenced Kurds, an unauthorized party in Syria called Kurdish Popular Union Party (KPUPS) reported in 1992 on the dismissal of 21 Kurdish workers from a public company for their threat to state security (Oct. 1996). The report also mentions that six members of the Popular Union Party were arrested for illegally publishing a newspaper (ibid.). According to the report, the party's overseas branch wanted international pressure placed on the Syrian government on behalf of the Kurdish community (ibid.).

The Washington Kurdish Institute reported that, on 27 January 1999, Salah Bedruddin was the General Secretary of the Kurdish Popular Union Party of Syria (7 May 1999). The Turkish Daily News interviewed Bedruddin in August 1996, and labelled him a "leader who rejects violence as a political instrument." (Turkish Daily News 8 August 1996).

In December 2000, Hussain Daoud was reportedly forcibly returned from Germany to Syria, where he was arrested and held, possibly for his involvement in the "banned" Kurdish Popular Union Party of Syria (AI 2001; Middle East Intelligence Bulletin June 2001).

No current information on the Kurdish Popular Union Party could be found among sources consulted by the Research Directorate within time constraints.

The Kurdish Human Rights Project reports that, as of 1999, "some 13 Kurdish political prisoners remain[ed] in detention, sentenced to four years imprisonment by the Supreme State Security Court, after they were arrested for the distribution of leaflets between 1995 and 1996" (21 Mar. 2000). No other information on the treatment of individuals found in possession of pro-Kurdish political material could be found among sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Amnesty International. Amnesty International Report 2001: Syria. [Accessed 10 December 2001]

Human Rights Watch. October 1996. Syria: The Silenced Kurds. [Accessed 10 December 2001]

Kurdish Human Rights Project. 21 March 2000. 1999 Annual Report. [Accessed 7 December 2001]

Middle East Intelligence Bulletin. June 2001. Gary C. Gambill. "Continuing Detentions and Disappearances in Syria." [Accessed 10 December 2001]

Turkish Daily News. August 1996. Rasit Gurdilek. "The Fourth Country: Syrian Kurdish Leader Sheds Light on Unknown Political Struggle of Kurds in Assad's Syria (Part II)." [Accessed 7 December 2001]

Washington Kurdish Institute. 7 May 1999. "Kurd from Syria at WKI Discussion Forum." [Accessed 7 December 2001]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

World News Connection

Internet sites including:

Alparty

Clark.net

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1999-2001

Freedom House

Human Rights Watch

Institut Kurde de Paris

Kurd.com

Kurdinfo

Kurdnet

Kurdish Human Rights Project

Kurdish Media

Kurdish Women's Society in Europe

Kurdistan Democratic Party

Political Resources on the Net

U.S. Committee for Refugees. Country Reports.