Syria frees economist after 7 years

Damascus: Syrian authorities on Thursday freed Arif Dalila, jailed seven years ago after calling for freedom of speech and assembly and abolishing monopolies in the single party country, his lawyer said.

Dalila, an economist and leader of the Damascus Spring movement, was serving a 10-year jail sentence. He was released from intelligence services' custody and is now with his family in the port city of Latakia, Muhannad Al Hassani said. “We hope that this will be the beginning of freedom for the rest of the prisoners of conscience in Syria,'' he said.