Opposition Figure Banned from Travelling

The authorities at Damascus airport banned lawyer Abdul Hamid Majnuna from travelling to Yemen to attend the Arab national conference. The National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria reported that the state security board issued the ban on April 29.



Majnuna, who served as a Syrian government minister in 1974, is deputy secretary-general of the Arab Democratic Socialist Union party.



He said he would challenge the ban, noting that it was not uncommon for the authorities to hinder the work of democratic figures and human rights activists.



The human rights group said the ban was illegal because it was issued by the security forces rather than the courts.



The organisation reported on May 9 that Syrian security forces had arrested the writer and opposition member Habib Selah. Selah was arrested the evening of May 7 while visiting the Tartus market.