SYRIAN ACTIVISTS HAVE vowed that there will be more demonstrations against President Bashar Assad’s regime as the government crackdown on opponents intensifies today.
Activists have called for a “Friday of rage” following Muslim prayers to commemorate the slayings exactly a week ago that saw 112 killed in just one day.
Syria’s uprising, inspired by revolts in the Arab world, has claimed more than 450 lives since its outbreak in mid March.
Friday’s demonstrations have the backing of the outlawed Islamist group, the Muslim Brotherhood, which was crushed by the regime in 1982.
Assad has tried to quell the protests, which are the gravest challenge to his family’s 40-year ruling dynasty.
Meanwhile, as protests get underway, European governments will meet to discuss imposing sanctions on Syria, reports the Guardian.
The sanctions could include travels bans and a freeze on bank accounts of the president, his relatives and key government figures.
However, whether an agreement can be reached is unclear given the international response to the violence in Syria has been limited to stern words and vague threats so far.
Human Rights Watch has called on the UN Human Rights Council to strongly condemn the “repression of peaceful protests” in Syria and investigate the recent violence.
The body has also called for urgent action by the Human Rights Council on the ongoing human rights crises in Bahrain and Yemen which it says have so far not been addressed.
- additional reporting from AP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say