Damascus: The editor of Syrian government daily Tishrin said on Saturday she had been sacked over remarks to Al Jazeera television criticising security forces for firing on anti-regime protesters.
Samira Al Masalma told AFP she had been replaced by the paper's business editor, Munir Al Wadi. On Friday, Samira told the channel that there had been a "violation of the rules barring the forces of order from firing on protesters," and that anyone who had done so "should be punished." She hails from Daraa, the focal point of protests.
What did Al Assad do?
During the past one month, the president moved to appease the protesters by sacking the cabinet and several regional governors, promising higher salaries, releasing political prisoners and setting up a committee to begin looking into repealing a controversial emergency law.
March 31: Bashar Al Assad forms a judicial committee to study abolishing the emergency law.
April 3: Former agriculture minister Abdul Safar charged by Al Assad with forming a new government.
April 4: New governor appointed in Daraa. Seven rights activists freed from prison.
April 5: Syria's only casino has been shut down and a ban on teachers wearing the veil reversed.
April 6 :The Syrian parliament prepares to adopt major reforms in May, including an end to emergency rule.
April 7: Al Assad grants citizenship to Syria's Kurds, the majority in northeast Syria, who have been denied nationality for close to half a century.
What do people want?
A key demand of the protesters is the repeal of the emergency law. Protesters want democracy, freedom and cultural identity. They want concrete reforms and free elections.
