Haitham al-Maleh

Born in Sarouja, Damascus, Haitham al-Maleh earned a degree in law and a diploma in international law from the Damascus University. He was first arrested in 1951 at the age of twenty when he called for an independent judiciary; he was imprisoned for three weeks.{{cite web |url=http://www.thenation.com/article/163108/lifetime-resistance-syria |title=A Lifetime of Resistance in Syria |author=Sharif Abdel Kouddous |date=1 September 2011 |work=The Nation |access-date=24 April 2012}} He became a judge in 1958. The first Ba'athist government dismissed him from the judicial bench because of his public criticism of the 1963 Emergency Law, which suspended constitutional rights and codified martial law. He returned to the practice of law after his dismissal.

While originally an advocate for democratic reforms, by the early 1970s, Maleh became an outspoken critic of the situation in Syria. The Syrian government ordered Maleh's arrest and detention numerous times because of his political activities. Maleh was jailed as a political prisoner between 1980 and 1986 because he publicly criticized the Syrian government's lack of commitment to repeal the Emergency Law and suppression of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria, culminating in the quelling of the group in 1982. He went on hunger strikes at least twice during his detention.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jul/04/haitham-maleh-jailed-three-years |title=Haitham Maleh jailed for three years by Syrian court |work=The Guardian |date=2010-07-04 |access-date=2011-07-17 |location=London}} He has been active in Amnesty International since 1989.

In 2001, along with Riad Seif and other activists, Maleh was one of the major figures of the Damascus Spring. When the Human Rights Association in Syria was started in July 2001, he was elected president of the organization, a position he held until 2006.{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.net/News/archive/archive?ArchiveId=39059 |title=الأخبار - الأرشيف |publisher=al-Jazeera |date=2002-09-14 |access-date=2011-07-17}} He also supported the 2005 Damascus Declaration.

Maleh wrote several times to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad criticizing the human rights violation in the country. Writing as the president of the Syrian Human Rights Association, he demanded the lifting of the Emergency Law. In 2003, he spoke before the German Parliament on the issue of Syrian human rights, describing al-Assad's rule as "a fascist dictatorship". When he returned, the Syrian government banned him from leaving the country for the next seven years.

He has received awards for his defence of human rights in Syria, including the Dutch Human Rights Prize awarded to him in 2006. The Syrian Government refused to allow him to leave the country to receive the award in the Netherlands. After weeks of uncertainty he learned of the final refusal to grant him an exit visa only the day before the ceremony.{{cite web |url=http://www.geuzenverzet.nl/index.php?tekst_id=4&news_id=43&onderdeel2=43&lang=EN |title=Stichting Geuzenverzet 1940-1945 |publisher=Geuzenverzet |date=2006-03-13 |access-date=2011-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006063848/http://www.geuzenverzet.nl/index.php?tekst_id=4&news_id=43&onderdeel2=43&lang=EN |archive-date=2011-10-06 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-lawyer-idUKTRE59E56Q20091015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160201173911/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-syria-lawyer-idUKTRE59E56Q20091015 |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 1, 2016 |title=Syrian authorities arrest 78-year-old dissident |publisher=Reuters |date=2009-10-15 |access-date=2011-07-17}} In 2004 Maleh received the French National Consultative Commission of Human Rights "Human Rights Honor Award" for his research on torture in Syria, and the annual award for the dignity of the Geneva Human Rights Defenders in 2010, in addition to other awards and honors.

Maleh's most recent arrest was on 14 October 2009, a day after giving an interview on 'Panorama',{{cite web|url=http://www.barada.tv/19-2-6-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7.aspx|title=Episode 201|work=Panorama|access-date=24 April 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327214616/http://www.barada.tv/19-2-6-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A7.aspx|archive-date=27 March 2012}} a political analysis show on Barada TV, a London-based satellite channel operated by Syrian dissidents. He was referred to the Damascus military court and tried on charges of spreading false and misleading information that would "affect the morale of the nation", and sentenced to three years prison.{{cite web|url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde24/028/2009/en/ |title=Document - Syria: Haytham al-Maleh facing prison | Amnesty International |date=22 October 2009 |publisher=Amnesty.org |access-date=2011-07-17}} Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience, "detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression", and called for his immediate release.{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde24/004/2010/en/ |title=Syria: Haytham al-Maleh's health failing |date=26 February 2010 |publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=22 January 2012}}

He was released on 8 March 2011 after a presidential amnesty on the anniversary of the arrival of the Ba'ath party's ascension to power, which was extended only to prisoners over 70 years old.

Maleh requested Syrian authorities to cease political detention permanently, release all political prisoners, and affirm the right of every Syrian citizen to express his opinion. He noted that political prisoners are those who voice their opinions, and are not advocates of violence.

On July 16 2011, at the beginning of the Syrian civil war, Maleh and other Islamist opposition activists held a "Syrian National Salvation Congress" and called for a unified leadership of the Syrian opposition. Maleh later participated to the creation of the Syrian National Council.

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph on 30 January 2012, Maleh stated that the situation in Syria had passed the point where peaceful resolution was possible and stated that "Assad and his family will be killed in Syria...the end for them will be that they are killed like Gaddafi."{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9050199/Syria-Bashar-al-Assad-and-family-will-be-killed-like-Gaddafi.html |title=Syria: Bashar al Assad and family 'will be killed like Gaddafi' |author=Damien McElroy |date=30 January 2012 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=31 January 2012}}

In late February 2012,{{Cite web |url=http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/02/27/197219.html |title=Homs under fire as Syria awaits referendum result; rift develops in opposition group |access-date=27 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227200851/http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/02/27/197219.html |archive-date=27 February 2012 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }} shortly before the second conference of the Friends of Syria Group in Istanbul, al-Maleh, together with several other high-profile members including Kamal al-Labwani, left the Syrian National Council and formed another group, the "Patriotic Action Front", ostensibly to demand more support for the Free Syrian Army. Al-Maleh commented that the split had been motivated by the leadership of SNC president Burhan Ghalioun and by the undue dominance of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood over the council. On March 27, al-Maleh attended talks in Istanbul with the Syrian National Council but withdrew from the start, accusing the SNC of not respecting others and imposing its will.{{cite news|url=https://www.france24.com/en/20120327-syria-government-agrees-un-arab-league-envoy-kofi-annan-peace-plan|title=Syrian government agrees to Annan peace plan |website=France 24|date=27 March 2013|access-date=2025-01-19}} The Patriotic Action Front soon disintegrated due to internal conflicts.

In July 2012, it was announced that a Syrian coalition of "independent revolutionaries" had tasked al-Maleh to form a government-in-exile.{{cite news|url=https://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012%2F07%2F31%2F229596|title=Syrian opposition figure tasked with forming government in exile |website=Al Arabiya|date=31 July 2012|access-date=2025-01-19}} Eventually, al-Maleh joined the Syrian National Coalition that was formed in November 2012, becoming head of its legal committee. In March 2013, he announced on behalf of the coalition that Ghassan Hitto would lead the Syrian Interim Government.{{cite news|url=https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/03/20/snc-elect-leader-for-interim-government-amid-rift-in-coalition/|title=SNC elect leader for interim government amid rift in coalition |website=Daily News Egypt|date=20 March 2013|access-date=2025-01-19}}

In February 2014, al-Maleh was appointed by the Syrian National Coalition as Syria's envoy to the Arab League.{{cite news|url=https://syrianobserver.com/foreign-actors/haitham_almaleh_nominated_as_arab_league_envoy_for_syria.html|title=Haitham al-Maleh Nominated as Syria's Envoy to the Arab |website=The Syrian Observer|date=25 February 2014|access-date=2025-01-19}}

After the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, al-Maleh returned to Damascus and attempted to deliver a speech at the Umayyad Mosque. However, members of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham forcibly removed him from the minbar.{{cite web |url=https://www.alhurra.com/syria/2024/12/29/منبر-الجامع-الأموي-مشهد-صادم-لمعارض-سوري-بارز |title=على منبر الجامع الأموي.. مشهد صادم لمعارض سوري بارز |publisher=Alhurra |language=ar |date=29 December 2024 }}

• Kamal al-Labwani
• Aref Dalila
• Damascus Spring
• Damascus Declaration
• Sednaya Prison

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• [http://www.haithammalehfoundation.org/ Haitham Maleh Foundation] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714104122/http://www.haithammalehfoundation.org/ |date=2011-07-14 }}

{{2011 Syrian uprising}}

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Category:1931 births

Category:People from Damascus

Category:Damascus University alumni

Category:Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Syria

Category:Syrian human rights activists

Category:Living people

Category:Syrian democracy activists

Category:Syrian dissidents

Category:Syrian prisoners and detainees

Category:National Coalition of Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces members

Category:Syrian Islamists