Haitham al-Maleh (Arabic: هيثم المالح, born August 15, 1931)[1] is a Syrian human rights activist and former judge.

[2][3] An independent Islamist[4] and longtime critic of Syria's Ba'athist regime, he was imprisoned several times after standing for human rights and calling for constitutional reforms.

Maleh was jailed as a political prisoner between 1980 and 1986 because he publicly criticized the Syrian government's lack of commitment to repeal the Emergency Law and suppression of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria, culminating in the quelling of the group in 1982.

[6] Maleh's most recent arrest was on 14 October 2009, a day after giving an interview on 'Panorama',[12] a political analysis show on Barada TV, a London-based satellite channel operated by Syrian dissidents.

[4] He was referred to the Damascus military court and tried on charges of spreading false and misleading information that would "affect the morale of the nation", and sentenced to three years prison.

[5][6][13] Amnesty International named him a prisoner of conscience, "detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression", and called for his immediate release.

[14] He was released on 8 March 2011 after a presidential amnesty on the anniversary of the arrival of the Ba'ath party's ascension to power, which was extended only to prisoners over 70 years old.

Al-Maleh commented that the split had been motivated by the leadership of SNC president Burhan Ghalioun and by the undue dominance of the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood over the council.

[4] On March 27, al-Maleh attended talks in Istanbul with the Syrian National Council but withdrew from the start, accusing the SNC of not respecting others and imposing its will.