SYRIA UN ENVOY: ISRAEL HAS TORTURED, MISTREATED SYRIAN PRISONER

Damascus, 21 Jumadil Akhir 1436/10 April 2015 (MINA) – Syria says the Israeli regime has tortured and mistreated a Syrian man taken into custody over alleged spying for Damascus.

A Syrian envoy to the UN, Haydar Ali Ahmad, on Thursday called on the world body’s Secretary General Ban Ki-moon “to intervene directly” to save the life of Sidqi al-Maqt.

On March 27, an Israeli district indicted Maqt on charges of espionage for Syria. Maqt, an Arab Druse, had already served 27 years in an Israeli prison for “security offenses” and was released in August 2012. However, he was detained on February 25 this year over the spying allegations.

Ahmad, however, rejected the charges against Maqt as “trumped up,” Press Tv quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The Syrian envoy also asked the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies to take action and end Israel’s “maltreatment” of Maqt through securing his immediate release.

Ahmad said 48-year-old Maqt was arrested “without any justification” and that he is being subjected “to various forms of savagery.”

He said Maqt is not being allowed access to his own attorneys in violation of international law.

The Israeli regime has dismissed reports of Maqt’s mistreatment. (T/P002/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)