DICTATORS OF THE WORLD BASHAR AL-ASSAD OF SYRIA

RISE TO POWER elected while running unopposed in 2000 after his father ruled for 29 years helped introduce the internet to Syria in 2001

HUMAN RIGHTS CONCERNS “A 2007 law required internet cafes to record all the comments users post on chat forums. Websites such as Wikipedia Arabic, YouTube and Facebook were blocked intermittently between 2008 and February 2011.”internet cafesWikipediaYouTubeFacebookblocked intermittently between 2008 and February 2011 Those who have spoken out against his regime have faced torture, it has been alleged.

MORE CONCERNS multiple suspicious deaths of people who are from the ethnic group called Kurds enforced disappearances Under article 28 of the constitution, "no one may be tortured physically or mentally or treated in a humiliating manner." Nevertheless, security forces reportedly continued to use torture frequently, according to the U.N.

“ARAB SPRING” protests in March 2011 are met with violent response from government authorities May 2011 – U.S., E.U. and Canada freeze his assets and impose sanctions and travel bans August 2011 – At the age of 60, Syria’s most popular political cartoonist is beaten. Current reports claim about 9,000 civilians and protesters have been killed.

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