Britons urged to leave Syria due to deteriorating security
As the British Government urges its nationals to leave Syria one woman inside the city of Homs tells Channel 4 News innocent people are being killed, arrested and tortured.
Inspired by uprisings across the Arab world, demonstrators have taken to the streets of Syria for more than a month demanding President Bashar al-Assad stand down.
Human rights groups, which say more than 200 have been killed since the unrest started in Syria a month ago, have called for independent investigations into the actions of security forces.
The Foreign Office has now advised UK citizens to flee the country on scheduled flights.
A spokesman said: “In light of the deterioration in the security situation in Syria, we have amended our travel advice to inform British nationals that they should consider leaving Syria by commercial means.
“The safety of British nationals is always our primary concern.
Read more: The Arab revolt and Middle East uprisings
“At present there is relative freedom of movement, with all major roads and airports remaining open and with commercial airlines still running scheduled services with capacity available.
It should therefore be possible for British nationals to leave if they choose to do so.”
US Secretary State on Wednesday condemned the violence against protestors and called on the government to stop the arbitrary arrest, detention and torture of prisoners.
People are being ‘killed, arrested and tortured’
One woman, speaking to Channel 4 News from inside the city of Homs, said protests against the Government were growing.
“Week after week the number of protesters is increasing … last week I wouldn’t have the courage to talk to you but now I can, so week by week and day by day people are getting braver and stronger.”
Our security forces are very strong, unlike any other Arab country. Protester
Asked what her message to the outside world was she said: “We want people to know that we are being killed, arrested and tortured and that our regime is extremely unfair to all people.”
She added: “We are always being threatened by the security forces, we are not allowed to talk about politics, we are not allowed to say anything against the Government, we are just supposed to stay quiet and not say anything.
“Our security forces are very strong, unlike any other Arab country.”
Human rights campaigners say the arrest of a leftist opposition figure suggested that a bill passed by the Government to end emergency rule after 48 years would not halt repression.
The draft law was passed on Tuesday as a concession by President Bashar al-Assad in the face of increasingly determined mass protests against his authoritarian rule.
The end of emergency rule was, however, coupled with new legislation requiring Syrians to obtain a permit from the state if they want to hold demonstrations.
