For many years during the 1980s he was subject to detention because of his defense of human rights and liberties in Syria He was imprisoned from 1980 to 1987 for his activities in the Freedom and Human Rights Committee of the Syrian Lawyers Union, the local bar association. ###>Par la suite, sa licence d'avocat lui a été retirée en 2004, il a été plusieurs fois été interdit de voyager et de donner des conférences.