Syria releases 35 prisoners including the first political one
Syria, Politics, 8/5/2004

The human rights society in Syria said that the Syrian authorities released 35 political detainees after many of them spent 20 years under custody.

In a statement, the society asked for the release of all political detainees and to close the file of detention because of their views and the return back of exiled persons.

Syrian lawyer and activist in human rights field Anwar al-Bunni said that the pardoning included Immad Sheiha who was a member in the Arab communist organization, who spent 29 years in prison. Sheiha and his groups were accused of planning and carrying out several explosions targeting trade projects and American establishments.

Al-Bunni said that the Syrian authorities decided the release of 281 political prisoners, of whom 161 were released during the two past weeks, noting that 55 detainees were released on Tuesday and 36 detainees on Monday after 70 detainees who were released recently.

He said that the first group of detainees released on Wednesday included political detainees who were covered by the Presidential Amnesty pardoning on the occasion of four years after President al-Assad assumed power in Syria. He said that 120 detainees, governed by the Amnesty are still in prisons or security circles, expressing his hope to release them within the two coming days.

He explained that more than 200 political detainees spent periods of more than 20 years and were not governed by the pardoning including Sarhan al-Zoubi who spent 34 years in prison and the Syrian authorities gave no explanations over him. Al-Bunni called for the " release of the detainees, closing their files, returning back them to work by lifting their travel embargo."

Since November 2000, President Bashar al-Assad issued pardoning decisions covered more 800 political prisoners.

Previous Stories:
  EU expects partnership with Syria in September   (8/4/2004)
  First Syrian prisoner released   (8/4/2004)
  Jordan's prime minister in Damascus next week   (8/3/2004)

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