News from Damascus relayed that a military court decided to release the detainee Dr. Mahmud Sarem (68 years). His trial will continue while he is free. Dr. Sarem who is a poet, a writer and a physician; was rearrested for the second time on 7/2/2007. He started a hunger strike on 28/2/2007 in protest of his unjustified arrest.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee requests the Syrian authorities to release all prisoners of conscience and political detainees, to drop all charges against Dr. Sarem and to repeal all oppressive and exceptional laws that benefit from the security grip and  the state of emergency.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
18/3/2007