The Film Festival and International Forum on Human Rights (better known under its French name ‘Le Festival du Film et Forum International sur les Droits Humains’ and acronym: FIFDH) made public on 4 March that the film maker Mohammad Malas was arrested at the Syrian-Lebanese border on his way to Geneva to present his film, Ladder to Damascus (La montée vers Damas – 2013). [Mohammad Malas, born in 1945, is the most famous Syrian film – his 1992 film The Night was considered to be among the top 10 Arab films according to The Guardian. This film was banned for 4 years in Syria.] for more information please contact: L Elisabeth Pfund e.pfund[at]fifdh.ch – Tel +41 (0) 022 809 69 03.