Damascus repeals emergency law, but arrests a dissident
Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The new Syrian government yesterday approved three bills that will put an end to the state of emergency in the country, in force for 48 years. But the end state of emergency is accompanied by the adoption of a law that requires Syrian citizens to seek and obtain government permission to demonstrate in public. And overnight a historic democratic dissident Mahmoud Issa, was taken by the Mukhabarat, the Syrian secret services, from his home in Homs. No one knows where he was brought. Issa has already spent at least 11 years in prison for "activities against the state." His arrest, according to the pro-democracy activists, casts a heavy shadow on the real desire for reform of Bashar al-Assad.
The city of Homs has been home to the strongest anti-regime demonstrations in recent days. Human rights activists claimed yesterday that three protesters were killed in the city where protests continue, despite the warnings of the government. In total more than 200 people have been killed in protests born in Dera in the south, which later spread to all major cities.
Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that "the end of emergency rule was long overdue, but there are other laws that should be removed: one that grants immunity to security forces, and one that allows military courts to judge civilians. And thousands of political prisoners should be freed. "
The announced end of the emergency legislation is viewed with concern by the United States. The State Department spokesman, Mark Toner, said that the new law on the right to demonstrate "can be as restrictive as the repealed emergency law." He added that the Syrian government "must put broader reforms in place... and stop using violence against peaceful demonstrators." Regarding al-Assad, he concluded "as a reformer, we have seen a lot of words and very little action."
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29/10/2020 09:55
