Syrian riot police used threats and rubber clubs yesterday to break up a sit-in by human rights activists in downtown Damascus calling for the release of all political prisoners in the country.

About 150 Syrians marking International Human Rights Day tried to stage the sit-in outside the prime ministry, but riot police armed with clubs forced the crowd to scatter and briefly detained seven people. All of them were released.

There was some pushing and shoving, but the clubs largely were used to threaten demonstrators and there were no reports of injuries. Protesters dispersed after about an hour.

"Authorities still insist on repressing public freedoms and on banning sit-ins by beating and humiliating the activists," said lawyer Anwar Al Bunni, a human rights activist who participated in the sit-in.

They also insist on ignoring the Syrian people's demands to abolish emergency laws, open up the press and release all political detainees, Al Bunni said.

The sit-in comes two days after the government released 112 political detainees the largest single batch to be freed in three years.

On Wednesday, Haitham Al Maleh, a leading Syrian rights activist, said about 320 prisoners remain.

A statement signed by 35 international, Arab and local human rights groups calling for the release of all Syrian political detainees was distributed to journalists covering yesterday's sit-in.

A separate statement signed by 11 Syrian human rights and political groups said "it is regrettable that the regime raced to use force to disperse hundreds of activists of democratic factions and bodies."

"It was just a peaceful sit-in," said the statement.

The statement denounced "the repressive measures" used by police to disperse protesters and said: "It is difficult to understand this step that runs against the natural right of every citizen to express his opinion."

Since taking office in July 2000, President Bashar Al Assad has released hundreds of political prisoners and initially allowed pro-democracy groups to hold small gatherings indoors.

But he has also clamped down on liberals, showing there were limits to dissent.

"Authorities still insist on repressing public freedoms and on banning sit-ins by beating and humiliating the activists."