Syria's Assad announces 'general amnesty'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Monday announced a "general amnesty" for all crimes committed to date, state television said, without giving further details.

The channel cited Justice Minister Najem al-Ahmad as saying the decree was issued in the context of "social forgiveness, national cohesion calls for coexistence, as the army secures several military victories."

It was not immediately clear who would be included in the amnesty, and many doubt the sincerity of the Syrian government's move.

Ghassan Ibrahim, a London-based Syrian analyst who is critical of Assad, told Middle East Eye that the gesture was "a publicity stunt that has become redundant now", noting that a number of amnesties were announced by the government before.

"Why is there a need for yet another amnesty if Syrians had benefited from the regime's previous amnesties?" Asked Ibrahim.  

"Some criminals are let out and many innocent people who shouldn't have been there in the first place are released, but political dissidents are most likely to be re-arrested if indeed they were going to be allowed to leave," said Ibrahim.

"Captive dissents are usually released in exchange of pro-Assad foreign fighters who hail from Lebanon or Iran when they are captured in rebel-held areas in Syria," he added.

Rights groups say the Syrian government is holding tens of thousands of prisoners in jails where torture and other abuses are systematic.

Since the outbreak of an anti-Assad revolt in March 2011, the government has branded all dissidents - non-violent and later armed - as "terrorists", jailing thousands arbitrarily, according to human rights organisations.