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Posted by Scott Lucas | May 12, 2021 | Ahead of Syria’s Presidential “election” on May 26, Bashar al-Assad has signed a decree releasing more than 400 political prisoners. The civil servants, judges, lawyers, and journalists were detained this year over posts on social media, under the regime’s cyber-crimes law. They were among thousands — currency speculators, drug dealers, smugglers, and kidnappers — under a general amnesty declared on May 2. Many of the freed political prisoners were regime supporters. They include senior police officers, judges, journalists for regime outlets...

Middle EastSyria releases hundreds of social media critics ahead of election Suleiman Al-khalidi 1/2 A national flag depicting a picture of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad flutters at a checkpoint in Douma, in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, Syria March 10, 2021. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki Read More Syria has freed more than 400 civil servants, judges, lawyers and journalists detained this year in a crackdown on social media dissent, a move seen by rights activists and former detainees as intended to win over public opinion ahead of presidential elections. Those released after being held under ...

* Releases don't include political detainees held for years * Cyber crime law gives little room for criticism of economy * Some arrested for hitting a like button on a Facebook post By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN, May 11 (Reuters) - Syria has freed more than 400 civil servants, judges, lawyers and journalists detained this year in a crackdown on social media dissent, a move seen by rights activists and former detainees as intended to win over public opinion ahead of presidential elections. Those released after being held under Syria's cyber crimes law were among thousands freed this month under...

Anger simmers over Syria's economic collapse, but Assad appears secure Reuters 3/16/2021 By Suleiman Al-Khalidi © Reuters/KHALIL ASHAWI FILE PHOTO: People stand in a queue to get bread in the border town of Tal Abyad By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - In the back alleys of the old city of Damascus, Yaseen al-Obeid carries sacks of bricks to make some extra cash and supplement his monthly foreman's salary of $15. © Reuters/Marko Djurica FILE PHOTO: Life in Assad’s Syria Like many other Syrians, one job is not enough; the 52-year-old has to find money to feed h...

Having won Syria’s war, Assad is mired in economic woes By Ben Hubbard and Hwaida Saad New York Times,Updated February 23, 2021, 9:30 p.m. Email to a Friend An aerial view shows displaced Syrians demonstrating against President Bashar al-Assad and the upcoming presidential election in the rebel-held city of Idlib on Feb. 19, 2021.OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images BEIRUT — In a private meeting with pro-government journalists, President Bashar Assad was asked about Syria’s economic meltdown: the currency collapse that has gutted salaries, the skyrocketing prices for basic good...