Statement: Senator Bacik Welcomes Release of Dr Rafah Nached in Syria

STATEMENT BY SENATOR IVANA BACIK
Labour Party Seanad leader and Spokesperson on Justice
Thursday 17th November 2011

SENATOR BACIK WELCOMES RELEASE OF
DR RAFAH NACHED IN SYRIA

Senator Ivana Bacik today welcomed the release of Dr. Rafah Nached, the Syrian psychoanalyst, who had been detained since 10th September by the Syrian authorities.

Senator Bacik had raised the plight of 66-year old Dr. Nached on a number of occasions in the Seanad, and had circulated a cross-party Motion calling for her release. Senator Bacik had said that it was outrageous to see Dr. Nached, the first female psychoanalyst in her country, being arrested and detained as she was about to board a Paris-bound flight at Damascus airport to attend the birth of her first grandchild.

In welcoming Dr. Nached's release today, Senator Bacik said,

“The release of Dr. Nached is long overdue. Her detention was outrageous and it provoked an international outcry and a major campaign for her release. The Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore had called for her immediate release on 4th October, and had associated himself fully with the 23rd September statement calling for her release by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton. Other parliaments and Governments had similarly called for her release.”

“However, although Dr. Nached has now been released, many thousands of others have been arbitrarily detained in Syria, and many have been subjected to torture in custody. I call for an immediate end to the repression and violence of the Syrian people and will continue to press the Tanaiste and Government for further efforts to support the movement for democracy in Syria.”

ENDS