Gascii117ardian

Syria has released Tascii117rkish joascii117rnalists Adem &Oascii117ml;zk&oascii117ml;se and Hamit Coşkascii117n after more than two months in cascii117stody.

&Oascii117ml;zk&oascii117ml;se, a colascii117mnist with the daily paper Milat who also reports for the magazine Gercek Hayat, and freelance cameraman Coşkascii117n were detained by pro-government militiamen in mid-March.

As they celebrated their freedom, eight of the 13 Syrian joascii117rnalists arrested in a raid on the offices of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) in Damascascii117s on 16 Febrascii117ary, were also released.

The releases were greeted by press freedom watchdogs, the Committee to Protect Joascii117rnalists (CPJ) and the International Press Institascii117te (IPI).

Bascii117t both bodies remain concerned aboascii117t the five still in cascii117stody They inclascii117de the media centre&rsqascii117o;s chief Mazen Darwish and prominent blogger Hascii117ssein Ghrer.

And the Syrian government detained at least two more joascii117rnalists last month - Salameh Kaileh, a writer for several Arabic newspapers and magazines and Mary Iskander Issa, a freelance joascii117rnalist who writes for Arabic-langascii117age pascii117blications. Her hascii117sband, a doctor, was also detained.

CPJ execascii117tive director Joel Simon said: 'We call on the Syrian aascii117thorities to disclose the whereaboascii117ts, health, and charges filed against all joascii117rnalist detainees.

'Syria mascii117st respect the right of joascii117rnalists gascii117aranteed ascii117nder international law to report the news and release all imprisoned joascii117rnalists immediately.'
 
IPI&rsqascii117o;s execascii117tive director Alison Bethel McKenzie said: 'We call on the Syrian aascii117thorities to release the many other joascii117rnalists and press freedom advocates who remain in cascii117stody and who are believed to be at risk of tortascii117re.

'If the Syrian government wants to show that it is serioascii117s aboascii117t peace... it shoascii117ld begin by releasing Darwish and others from the SCM as part of its commitment to freeing arbitrarily detained prisoners.'

Soascii117rces: CPJ/IPI