Syria releases three opposition activists: rights group
AFP
DAMASCUS- Three opposition rights activists who called for democratic change in Syria were freed on Sunday after serving out their full jail terms, a human rights group said.
"The Syrian authorities today released Akram Bunni, Jabr al-Shufi and Ahmed Tomeh after they had served their sentences" for signing the so-called Damascus Declaration, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.
An image grab from Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV shows Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
"The remaining Damascus Declaration leaders will be released in the coming days," the SOHR said in a statement.
Those still in jail are author Ali Abdullah, Dr Walid Bunni, former MP Riad Seif and Fidaa Hurani, Yasser al-Iti, Mohammed Haji Darwish, Marwan al-Ish, Fayez Sara and Talal Abu-Dan.
Akram Bunni, freed on Sunday, is a brother of human rights lawyer Anwar Bunni, who is serving a five-year jail term.
The rights group welcomed the releases, and urged the government to "free all prisoners of conscience in Syrian prisons to bring an end to this issue."
It also urged Damascus to "allow the return of all exiles who fear being jailed" if they come home, and to "pass a law allowing political parties and civil groups to operate in Syria in a way that would preserve national unity."
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