Dr Mohamad Kamal Al-Labwani, member of the Syrian opposition who is in exile in Sweden, held an unprecedented press conference at the Jerusalem Press Club on Tuesday, September 16. Dr. Al-Labwani said that bombing Syria alone will not help, because it will only boost Bashar al-Assad’s regime. He argued that what the opposition needs is a stable territorial base and humanitarian aid to create a civic society in Syria.
About Dr. Mohamad Kamal Al-Labwani:
Dr. Al-Labwani is a leading human rights voice and a prominent member of the Syrian opposition movement. He was detained on political charges in 1980 and was imprisoned twice for his courageous activism and drive for political reforms: (1) from 2001 to 2004 for promoting reforms in Syria, and (2) from 2005 to 2011 for meeting with U.S. officials in Washington D.C. to discuss democratic reforms in Syria. While away from prison Dr. Labwani continued his relentless activism by speaking, writings and engaging with democracy activists in Syria and beyond. He has been involved in the “Damascus Spring” movement, which briefly flourished after Bashar al-Assad became President of Syria in June 2001 and founded the Syrian Liberal Democratic Union (2001).
During his most recent imprisonment and following a hunger strike, he was released early from a 12-year sentence in an effort to silence anti-regime domestic public opinion. Amnesty International dubbed him a “Prisoner of Conscience”. In a statement after his release he said “I think the method of human rights is the most important thing which we could do to archive safety. The most important weapon against terrorists is human rights”. After his release, Al-Labwani attended nonviolent protests advocating for regime change. Fearing arrest, he then fled to Jordan where he applied for and was granted political asylum in Sweden.
Since then, Al-Labwani has worked in Turkey as a member of the Syrian National Council, then, after its dissolution, as a member of the General Secretariat and Committee of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Oppositionist Forces. In early 2014, he withdrew from the National Coalition and has been working independently ever since. Dr Labwani also became known for his public call for Israel to take a clearer stand and intervene on the side of the moderate Syrian Opposition.
