Europe pleased with al-Assad's reform, worried over human rights, detentions

The European Union on Monday expressed satisfaction over the political and economic reforms taking place in Syria, and simultaneously expressed concern over issues pertinent to human rights in Syria and acts of arrests which targeted political activists and recent sentences taken against them.

A statement issued by the Danish embassy which assumed the current rotating presidency of the European Union said that the EU "noted with satisfaction the political and economic reforms taken place in Syria after President Bashar al-Assad assumed rule in Syria, but is still concerned over the limited progress in this regard." A matter which provoked it ( the EU) to call on the Syrian government "to proceed effectively in the reforms efforts."

In the human rights field, the European Union expressed "its concern" for the Syrian government because of the "detention acts of political (motivation) and the trials which targeted prominent members in the civil society because they have practiced their right to self expression." The statement expressed the "concern of the European Union over the sentences released recently by the state security court against several Syrian political activists and called on the Syrian government to release all political detainees."

While the statement welcomed permitting diplomatic representatives of the European Union to attend the trial of each of the two parliament members Ma'moun al-Homsi and Riad Seif, in a civil court, the statement expressed regret over not permitting diplomats to attend the trial held in a state security court and targeted four other political activists.

The statement said that the European Union will continue following up human rights conditions in Syria especially in the context of "the partnership agreement currently discussed between Syria and the European Union." It called on the Syrian government to honor human rights especially the right to self- expression.