Bashar al-Assad
President
Presidential Palace
Abu Ruman al-Rashid Street
Damascus
Syria
11 July 2000
Your Excellency,
The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors and journalists, extends to you its best wishes on your inauguration as President of Syria. In doing so, IPI would like to express the hope that you will use your new position to bring about much needed changes to Syria.
In the belief of IPI, Your Excellency’s inauguration offers a fresh opportunity for a reform of the media in Syria. During recent months, IPI has been impressed by Your Excellency’s stated opinions on the Internet; particularly, statements given in an interview in the International Herald Tribune which quoted you as saying, ” as a point of principle I would like everybody to be able to see everything” and ” the more you see, the more you improve”. IPI welcomes such calls for transparency and openness within Syrian society and urges you to apply these convictions to freedom of expression and to freedom of the media.
It is the firm view of IPI that the foundation of a free media has many benefits for a country such as Syria. Informed criticism of a country’s political process stimulates full and frank discussion and prevents government decisions from being formed in a vacuum; furthermore, the communication of news events through the media, whether print or electronic, increases awareness of issues, thus allowing a government to better understand the mood of its citizens. Perhaps most importantly, a free press promotes international trust and confidence in the country and actively encourages economic investment.
Although IPI recognises there are difficulties in seeking to create a completely free media within Syria, IPI urges Your Excellency to carry out as many necessary reforms as possible.
In order to achieve this, IPI is prepared to meet with Your Excellency, at any time which is convenient, in order to discuss legal measures for the positive development of the media situation in Syria.
IPI also invites Your Excellency to show good faith by releasing the imprisoned journalist, Nizar Nyouf. Now facing his tenth year in prison, Nayouf’s release would send a clear signal to the rest of the world that Syria has moved on from its past and now wishes to create a society in which freedom of expression and press freedom are upheld as a virtue rather than denigrated as a sin.
IPI urges Your Excellency to reach out and grasp this opportunity. We thank you for your attention.
Johann P. Fritz
Director
