Some 17 political prisoners from the 'liberation party' released in Syria

Well-informed sources said that the Syrian authorities released some 17 political prisoners from the " Islamic liberation party " ( Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami ).

It was also said that a Presidential pardoning will be released in Syria after President Bashar al-Assad assumed power in the country in July and that "releases will be made for most of the persons who are still detained from the Muslim brothers movement and the Communist Labor league."

The late Syrian President Hafez al-Assad had pardoned by the end of 1995 1500 political prisoners including Muslim Brothers and communists who were arrested by the beginning of the 1980 s on charges of " destroying the country."

In 1998 some 225 detainees were released and hundreds were also released in 1999 in a decision in parallel to that released in the previous year.