By KUNA
London : Britain said Wednesday it is “deeply concerned” about the recent arrest and detention of twelve civil society activists in Syria associated with the “Damascus Declaration”.
In a statement, the British Foreign Office said the trial of these activists for peacefully expressing their views is profoundly undemocratic and demonstrates contempt for freedom of expression.
The twelve detained members of the Damascus Declaration should be released immediately, it added.
As the Foreign Office Minister for the Middle East Dr Kim Howells said in the House of Commons on 28 January 2008 “Syria’s unacceptable internal human rights record highlights the regime’s lack of respect for democratic norms”, the statement went on.
“In past months, the UK has seen a worrying deterioration in the human rights situation in Syria, with activists being detained simply for holding a meeting calling for greater democratic rights”.
“Britain calls on Syria to address that situation urgently. It is regrettable that following this statement as well as others by EU partners, the Syrian authorities continued to arrest members of the Damascus Declaration group”.
“Syria must honour its obligations to freedom of expression, enshrined in the UN’s International Convention on Civil and Political Rights in 1969, which Syria has ratified. The UK will continue to urge them to do so”, the statement concluded.