Damascus releases 225 prisoners, including communists, Muslim Brotherhood members

Well-informed Syrian sources said that at the directives of President Hafez al-Assad Syria recently released 225 prisoners from different organizations, including Muslim Brotherhood members, Communists, in addition to other figures whose practices "threatened the country's security."

The sources added that only 30 of the released people, were among persons whose release was called for by human rights organizations, including Riad al-Turk, the Secretary general of the Communist Party's political bureau, who split from the Communist party which was led by Khaled Bukdash; and the deputy chairman of the human rights committee, Aktham Nwiesah who has been in prison for 7 years.

The sources added that President Assad gave his directives to release a new group of prisoners who carried out acts of violence by the beginning of the 1980's.

Meanwhile, Western diplomatic sources said the Syrian government has brought together "numbers" of what they called "prisoners of ideas" in jails near the capital in a step viewed as preceeding their release. This release operation was met with great satisfaction by international human rights organizations, whereas Western sources described the Syrian step as "important" on the eve of convening Palermo European-Mediterranean meeting, noting that "Damascus is proceeding in the positive track required by the partnership with the European Union."

The Muslim brotherhood group in Amman released a statement welcoming the release of the prisoners. President Hafez al-Assad issued a pardon in 1996 according to which some 1,000 prisoners from the "Muslim Brotherhood and communists" were released after being convicted of carrying out destructive acts in 1982.