I expressly condemn the arrest of the prominent human rights activist Jdea Abdullah Nawfal on the border between Syria and Lebanon on 1 April.

This is not an isolated case. Nawfal’s arrest is the latest in a long list of politically motivated arrests of members of the opposition and human rights activists by the Syrian Government, whose goal is to silence all critical voices. In numerous cases, nothing more has been heard of the detainees. I strongly urge the Syrian Government to release Jdea Abdullah Nawfal and the countless other individuals detained arbitrarily.