Fears grow for Syrian activists as deaths in custody increase...

Amnesty International has urged the Syrian authorities to reveal the whereabouts of four activists who were arrested last week near Damascus, after the dead body of their friend was returned to his family over the weekend.

The four, who include the brothers Yahya and Ma’an Shurbaji, have not been seen since they were detained in Daraya, a Damascus suburb, on 6 September 2011 at the same time as Ghayath Mattar, the dead activist. There are growing fears for their safety.

An Amnesty report in August 2011 listed 88 deaths in custody since April, but seven others, including Ghayath Mattar, have died behind bars in recent weeks, bringing the total to 95.

“It is clear that these human rights activists from Daraya are in grave danger given the very suspicious circumstances surrounding the death of their friend and fellow activist Ghayath Mattar,” said Philip Luther, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. Full story...

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