Rafah Nashed is a Syrian Psychoanalyst wrongly 'arrested' at the Damascus airport on 10th September 2011. She is being held in a women's prison where her health is deteriorating. Here is a statement from her husband, Dr. Faisal Mohammad Abdullah, a Professor in Ancient History at Damascus University.
The Statement and Declaration about the arrest circumstances of the psychanalyst Dr.Rafah Tawfiq Nashed
My name is Dr. Faisal Mohammad Abdullah, a Professor in Ancient History at Damascus University. I announce today that my wife Rafah Tawfeek Nached the Psychoanalyst has reached Damascus International Airport on Saturday 10th of September 2011 heading to Paris for health and family reasons when she was abducted at exactly 1:33 am as she was at the first check point of the luggage scanner.
She was at the luggage scanner when she called me on the phone saying: "they are checking me hysterically and they have lists, the man took my passport and went away.." Then she stopped talking but her mobile was still on and I could hear the noise of movements and some of her words "take out this".. Then it went offline.
I immediately drove to the airport and arrived there at 2:15 am and headed towards the first check point and plead one of the airport attendants to ask for "a lady in her mid sixties, who has crossed the check point". The officer dressed in civilian informal cloths said: "I will ask inside". He went in and out to tell me: "we don't know, you have to ask at the Airport General Security Office". I told him then, "I received a phone call from my wife shortly before I came saying that she was at the luggage scanner" He answered: "no one knows". Then he asked me to go to the airport security office.
I went quickly to the office which had a sign on the door "Security" in the main hall of the airport. I asked them to inquire about my wife in front of the luggage scanner & check point. The man answered that they don't know and if he knew, he would have told me exactly what happened. I said "But my wife went was at the scanner and called me exactly as her luggage were being checked then the signal went off. I continued "From this moment, I consider my wife missing in Damascus International Airport and exactly at the first luggage check point before the actual check-in desks.". A Security Officer, also dressed in civilian informal outfit, told me with the following: "We don't know. Had we known, we would've told you". So I said "Strange, I am a citizen and I am notifying you that my wife is missing at one of your check points, can't you offer any gesture of help as the authorized personnel?" He just answered: "we don't know, go to the General Security Office, go to the Police and ask."
So I headed to the next office where the officers are in uniforms and I narrated the incident of my wife's disappearance. One of the personnel asked me for her full name, so I gave him a copy of her ID. He went out of the office and came in after few minutes to say: "Your wife didn't go through the general security gate, so she wasn't on board the flight. Go check at the first customs check point and the Air Force Intelligence". I said: "I am not allowed in there, and Air Force Intelligence office said they know nothing and if they knew they would've told me". The police officer looked at me then and laughed saying "we did our job and your wife didn't pass through our check points. Go and ask the security again."
So I spent the next hours debating with the officers & personnel at the different security offices at the airport until the early hours of dawn when I reached the office of the chief General Head of Airport Police. I narrated what happened and that I my wife was missing since 1:33 am and that she didn't leave the first luggage check point and that her name is included in the French airlines passengers check-in lists as heading to Paris. I also explained that the Airline office announced that she was not available on the check-in boarding lists meaning that she was abducted at the first luggage scanner check point. The high rank officer answered me gently and explained that the General Airport Security didn't register my wife's departure and that another authority, meaning the Air Force Intelligence, is responsible for that.
No matter who many times I tried to meet again one of the officers at the Air Force Intelligence office I failed and had to put down to the answers by the Public General Security Officers.
I spent the whole Saturday spinning in between the different security, the police and the French airline offices before I finally realized that my wife Dr. Rafah Nached, was abducted before passing the first luggage check point scanner at departures in Damascus International Airport by agents of the Air Force Intelligence Authorities.
My wife is a Psychoanalyst and is 66 years old. Since she has spent her first night in mysterious place, I announce that she is suffering from several diseases and she was heading to Paris for family and health reasons.
I have to follow up with this abduction on Sunday. This I will now, by initiating legal procedures at the ministry of justice to get an official answer about my wife's situation.
Damascus, 11 September 2011.
Dr. Faisal Abdullah
A Professor in Ancient History in Damascus University
PETITION: Send a mail to:
rafah.navarin@gmail.com
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