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Washington "rejects as baseless allegations of American connections that have resulted in a spurious accusation of espionage," Crowley said.
"We call on the Syrian government to immediately release all its prisoners of conscience; and allow its citizens freedom to exercise their universal rights of expression and association without fear of retribution from their own government," he added.
There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities in Damascus.
Three Syrian rights groups said in late November that Tal al-Mallohi "was interviewed on November 10 by the High Court for State Security and then returned to her women's prison in Duma, near Damascus."
The statement expressing "extreme concern" was signed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Syrian League for the Defense of Human Rights and the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria.
In October, Syria's Al-Watan newspaper reported that the authorities accused the schoolgirl blogger of spying for the US embassy in Egypt.
High school student Tal al-Mallohi, 19, had been "held incommunicado without charge for nine months," Human Rights Watch said in September. She was first detained in late December 2009, the group said.
Her blog, which contains poetry and social commentary, focuses mostly on the plight of the Palestinians and does not address Syrian politics, HRW said.
The rights group said that Syrian security officers went to Mallohi’s house and confiscated her computer, some CDs, books and other belongings.
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"We call on the Syrian government to immediately release all its prisoners of conscience; and allow its citizens freedom to exercise their universal rights of expression and association without fear of retribution from their own government," he added.
There was no immediate comment from Syrian authorities in Damascus.
Three Syrian rights groups said in late November that Tal al-Mallohi "was interviewed on November 10 by the High Court for State Security and then returned to her women's prison in Duma, near Damascus."
The statement expressing "extreme concern" was signed by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Syrian League for the Defense of Human Rights and the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria.
In October, Syria's Al-Watan newspaper reported that the authorities accused the schoolgirl blogger of spying for the US embassy in Egypt.
High school student Tal al-Mallohi, 19, had been "held incommunicado without charge for nine months," Human Rights Watch said in September. She was first detained in late December 2009, the group said.
Her blog, which contains poetry and social commentary, focuses mostly on the plight of the Palestinians and does not address Syrian politics, HRW said.
The rights group said that Syrian security officers went to Mallohi’s house and confiscated her computer, some CDs, books and other belongings.
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