Syrian opposition activists arrested during clamp down

Damascus: A former elected representative has been arrested by the Syrian authorities as part of an initiative to clamp down on opposition activists, said Ammar Qorabi, Chief of the National Organisation for Human Rights in Syria.

He added that "Security services arrested the former parliamentarian Riad Seif on Monday night, for attending a meeting of the National Council of the Damascus Declaration,"

The Damascus Declaration calls for radical democratic change in the country, and has united communist, nationalist, liberal and Kurdish parties.

Last week, another opposition figure, Marwane Eche, was also arrested on the same grounds, Qorabi added.

These two arrests bring to 11 the number of opposition activists detained by the authorities since December including key opposition leader Fidaa Horani.