By NNN-KUNA
Washington : US President George W. Bush praised late Friday the formation of an opposition group inside Syria calling on Damascus to release all the prisoners of conscious.
“I applaud the recent formation of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration in Damascus, Syria,” said Bush in a statement released by the White House.
The brave men and women who formed this Council reflect the desires of the majority of Syrian people to live in freedom, democracy, and peace, both at home and alongside their neighbors in the region, he added.
Bush asserted that the formation of this council was an encouraging sign to all people who supported freedom and democracy.
Syrian authorities arrested more than 30 people this week after this group of activists elected a leadership committee, seen by authorities as a public challenge.
The Syrian regime continues to hold hundreds of prisoners of conscience and has arrested more than 30 National Council members in the past few days, said Bush.
“All those detained should be released immediately,” he added.
These arrests came just after the Annapolis conference, which implied a positive direction in US-Syrian relations, but Bush’s statement could signal a step in the other direction.
“The Syrian regime continues to deny its citizens fundamental human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and the right to elect a representative government responsive to their needs,” said Bush.
“We support the National Council’s principles of non-violent struggle and open membership to all the people of Syria who believe the time has come for change,” he concluded.