Syrian government authorities on Friday released 240 political prisoners, including dozens of women, lawyer Michel Shammas told AFP.
“Syrian authorities released more than 240 prisoners from Adra prison (near Damascus), most of whom were tried before what is known as the anti-terrorism court,” Shammas told AFP on Friday.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group that relies on activists on the ground, also reported the releases, which coincided with the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Observatory activists, however, placed the number of released prisoners closer to 350.
Most of the people imprisoned under anti-terror laws spoke out against the Syrian government or took part in demonstrations and the uprising that began in 2011.
Amongst the freed prisoners was influential blogger Hussein Ghreir, who was arrested with activists Mazen Darwish and Hani Zaitani in early 2012.
Observatory activists say around 200,000 people are held in Syrian prisons and detention centers, many of whom have had no contact with their families. Activists also say almost 13,000 Syrians, including dozens of children, have been tortured to death by authorities since the uprising began in March 2011.
Despite agreeing to a deal last year promising to free tens of thousands of political prisoners, President Bashar Assad has not done so, according to activists.
