VZCZCXRO9078
OO RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #0172 0351626
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 041626Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7246
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS PRIORITY 0233

UNCLAS OTTAWA 000172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM SY CA
SUBJECT: CANADA ON SYRIAN POLITICAL DISSIDENTS 
 
REF: A. OTTAWA 0024 
 
     ¶B. 07 STATE 171106 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  According to Director of the Middle East Division 
of the Department of Foreign Affairs Michael Grant, Canada 
decided to make a public statement in Damascus (text in para 
2) in lieu of a demarche to the Syrian government in response 
to reftel demarche.  Its embassy issued the statement on 
January 31. 
 
¶2.  (U)  Begin Text 
 
Canada is deeply concerned about the arrest of Riad Seif, a 
respected member of Syrian civil society.  This development 
has renewed Canada's deep concerns over the human rights 
situation in Syria, as it follows the recent detention of 
other civil society activists associated with the "Damascus 
Declaration." 
 
We urge Syria to take all possible steps to ensure that 
domestic law and practices are in keeping with Syria's 
international human rights obligations, including as they 
pertain to arbitrary arrest and detention, freedom of 
movement, minimum guarantees for judicial proceedings, 
freedom of opinion and expression, and freedom of association. 
 
End Text 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS