71517006 Syria's President declared a general amnesty
Syrian President Bashar Assad on Wednesday, June 21, declared a general amnesty. According to national news SANA, it will apply to all crimes committed before June 20, 2011. Amnesty has been declared the next day after the speech Assad, during which he presented his plan to withdraw riot covered the country from the crisis. Among other things the president promised to convene a special council that will review the legislation, including the constitution. Also, the president promised to reform the electoral system to weaken censorship and eradicate corruption. The main condition under which the reform will be launched, Assad called the termination unrest in the country. Earlier, the President has repeatedly stated that the perpetrators of violence in Syria are some "subversive elements", including operating from abroad. Trying to stabilize the country, Bashar Assad is not the first time claims for concessions to opponents. So, shortly after the president promised to protest reforms, changed the composition of the government, as well as the lifting of nearly half a century of emergency. Furthermore, 31 May, he announced an amnesty of all political prisoners, including members of the banned movement "Muslim Brotherhood". Meanwhile, despite the promise of democratic change, Assad increasingly tightened the crackdown on protesters. In particular, after the lifting of emergency he imposed a ban on all public gatherings, and when the measure had no effect, threw the suppression of riots the army. According to unofficial reports of human rights defenders, in March, when the country started rallies in clashes with government forces killed at least a thousand people.
