The Syrian authorities last week released three Jordanian political prisoners who had been imprisoned for several years, a Jordanian lawyer announced on Monday, quoted by the Jordan Times.
Imad Sharqawi, who heads a Jordanian committee which has been seeking the release of more than 650 Jordanian and Palestinian political prisoners from Syria, told the paper the three set free on Thursday are expected to arrive in Jordan after obtaining travel documents from Jordan's embassy in Damascus.
Sharqawi said he expects more of these prisoners to be freed under the new leadership of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
"We received pledges from Syrian authorities that these prisoners will be released soon," Sharqawi said.
He said that Assad, who was sworn in on Monday, had earlier said that he would declare a public amnesty when he became president.
"We are waiting for him to fulfill his pledges and we hope that this file will be closed forever," Sharqawi said.
Hundreds of Jordanians and Palestinians were arrested in Syria over the past 30 years.
Many of them were jailed on charges of being members of political groups, especially the Muslim Brotherhood and Palestinian factions. Others were accused of being agents of Jordan's General Intelligence Department, said the English daily.
One of those freed on Thursday was identified as 41-year-old Khalid Awad who was released after 12 years in Tadmour jail.
Sharqawi said the other two prisoners wished to remain unnamed, according to the daily – Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
