After completing a 30 month sentence in prison, Ali Al-Abdullah packed up his belongings, said his goodbyes, and promptly found himself re-arrested.

Abdullah was arrested in December 2007 after he and 163 dissidents organized a meeting in which they called for democratic peaceful change in Syria. Abdullah served his full 2½ year sentence, during which he was subjected to torture. In addition to these two arrests, Abdullah was arrested in 1994, 2005, and 2006 for participating in interviews and protests.

Most recently, Abdullah has been arrested for several articles and statements he wrote while serving his sentence. His re-arrest has shocked Syrian human rights activists who had been optimistic about political progress after the recent increase in American engagement with Syria. In one of the articles, Abdullah criticized Hezbollah head Hassan Nassrallah’s protection of Wilayat al Faikh - the religious model of government- and argued that many Shia scholars actually were opposed to it prior to the revolution in 1979.

Abdullah also gave a statement to the Italian news agency *Aki*, in which he advised his government to take note of the “democratic carnival” in Lebanon, in which the Hizbullah-headed March 8th group lost power. Abdullah criticized the “illegitimate” Iranian regime’s “brutal” killing and wounding of peaceful protesters of the “fake” election. More broadly, it is believed that Abdullah has been re-arrested for his critical opinion on the lack of democracy in Syria.

Abdullah’s family has also been subject to government abuse. His son Omar, along with six colleagues, is currently serving a 5 year sentence after forming a secular youth movement at Damascus University. A second son, Mohammed, was jailed for six months for participating in a demonstration. To make matters worse, Abdullah’s wife recently underwent surgery to treat cancer.

“This regime is brutal to arrest Al Abdullah again after he served his prison term. His family is in a real need for him,” a Syrian lawyer who preferred to remain anonymous told CyberDissidents.org. “This is further prooof that the law is like a puppet used by the regime and just a decoration for the eyes of the international media and the international community to show that there are trials. Although the sentence was faked by the regime, the regime can’t respect its own ruling,” he added.

Ali Al-Abdullah is an honorable man who has stood up in the face of tyranny. Despite hopes that the American engagement would lead to political opening in the region, there has actually been an increase in the number of political dissidents who have been arrested. CyberDissidents.org urges President Obama to fulfill his promise to support democracy in Syria