A court in Syria has ordered that seven journalists, who were facing charged of owning banned publications, be released.
The journalists were members of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression, and according to the group’s Facebook page, they were released on Tuesday. However, five of their colleagues, including head of the centre Mazin Darwish, Abderrahman Hanada, Husein Grir, Mansour Al-Oumry and Hani Zitani, remain behind bars.
The group had been detained since February of this year when the offices of the centre were raided by security forces.
Among the seven activists to be released was Razan Ghazzawi who has become a particularly prominent activist and blogger throughout the revolution.
The other journalists to be released were Mayada Al-Khalil, Sana Mohsen, Ayham Gazal, Bassam Al-Ahmad, Joan Ahmed and Yara Badr Hanadi Zhleut.
Darwish has reportedly been held in solitary confinement since his arrest, and has been suffering from illness throughout.
DCMF has called for Darwish’s release, and has repeatedly urged the Syrian authorities to release all journalists who are currently being detained. The centre has joined other organisations to express concern for journalists in Syria, and for all defenders of freedom of expression to be released.
