On Novermber 28th, 2006 the Supreme State Security Court (SSSC) of Syria held the first trial for eight youth arrested for founding a public discussion group on cultural issues, including current cultural and political issues in Syria. No one has heard any news from them for over nine months as they have been held incommunicado and without access to a lawyer since their arrests in the early part of this year. “When Syrian authorities continue to arrest youth committed to secular and democratic ideals, pushing them away from public life and the institutions of civil society, this can only increase radical thinking and extremism in the country,” Joshua Landis said.