(Zaman Al Wasl)- The Syrian regime on Wednesday has released dozens of detainees who were arrested in southern Daraa province due to a "presidential amnesty".
Local sources confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl that 113 detainees have been released; most of whom were detained at checkpoints during the past months after the regime took control of Daraa with the support of Iran and Russia, in the summer of 2018.
The Violations Documentation Center (VDC) in Syria said that the detainees, who are from Daraa, included 13 women as well as a number of children.
The release included a small number of people who have spent more than five years in Assad's prisons, with the largest number being those arrested after the settlement procedures and the agreement of July 7, 2018, from armed opposition groups, in addition to those arrested in the last few days.
Firas al-Ahmad, correspondent of regime-affiliated channel, Sama, said, "With a special pardon from Mr. President Bashar al-Assad, a large number of detainees were released today," adding that the 118 detainees were released after a meeting in Daraa.
The release of the detainees came after a series of demonstrations in Daraa and its western countryside, with dozens of military checkpoints being attacked and threatened with escalation if they are not released.
Eight years of the Syrian war that erupted in Daraa as a peaceful protests have killed 560,000 people and driven half the pre-war population of 22 million from their homes, including more than 6 million as refugees to neighbouring countries.
Zaman Al Wasl
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