The four prisoners named in this report are believed to be in poor health and in need of medical care: all are being detained long-term, without trial. Amnesty International believes they may be prisoners of conscience. The four are: Dr Khalid al-Nasser, a nephrologist aged around 44 years, and Dr Mahmud al-‘Aryan, a 43-year-old gynaecologist, arrested in September 1986 and reportedly held in connection with the banned Popular Democratic Nasserist Organization (al-Tanzim al-Sha’bi al-Dimuqrati al-Nasiri); ‘Adil Sahyuni, an employee of the Justice Palace in Aleppo, arrested om July 1987 in connection with the banned Arab Socialist Union Party (Hizbu al-Itihad al-Ashtiraqi al-Arabi fi Suriya) and Bara al-Sarraj, a student and nephew of a leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood.
