Washington condemns Syria for jailing dissidents

Washington, May 12: The United States has condemned Syria on Friday after Syrian courts sentenced two leading political dissidents to lengthy jail terms.

Activist Kamal Labwani received a 12-year sentence on Thursday after being convicted of undermining national security in connection with a visit to the United States.

Anwar al-Bunni, a human rights lawyer, was given a five-year sentence a few weeks ago for criticizing government policy toward Lebanon.

''These developments demonstrate that the Assad regime in Syria continues to suppress dissent and crack down on those who peacefully seek to defend their rights and bring democratic reform to their country,'' the White House said yesterday.

It voiced alarm at reports the two men ''have been subjected to inhumane prison conditions'' and repeated President George W.

Bush's call for Syria to release all political prisoners.

Labwani's sentencing coincided with a speech to parliament by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who said Washington was trying to undermine Syria.

Bush has sought to isolate Syria diplomatically. He accuses Damascus of sponsoring terrorism, not doing enough to prevent foreign fighters from crossing into Iraq, doing little to rein in Hamas and Hezbollah militants opposed to Israel and destabilizing the Lebanese government.

Labwani was arrested in 2005 at the Damascus airport on arrival from the United States, where he had met US officials. He was charged with encouraging a foreign country to invade Syria.

Diplomats said Labwani had been moved from an underground cell to a better one after U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi raised his case along with that of other jailed dissidents when she met Assad during a visit to Damascus last month.

A report by Syria's National Organization for Human Rights said scores of political activists, including Internet bloggers and Kurdish nationalists, have been arrested in a campaign against dissidents launched last year.

Reuters
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