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STORY: SYRIA / DETAINEES RELEASE
TRT: 1:04
SOURCE: UNSMIS
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 14 JUNE 2012, DAMASCUS, SYRIA
1. Wide shot, back shot of detainees in holding area
2. Med shot, Syria police and UNSMIS staff in the holding area
3. Med shot, UNSMIS staff from rule of Law and Military observer in the holding area
4. Med shot, various detainees in the holding areas being released
5. Wide shot, Syria police calling names of detainees and UNSMIS personnel monitoring the process
6. Various shots, UNSMIS military observers monitoring the release process
7. Close up, President Bashar al-Assad portrait and a detainee seated
next to it
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Military Observer, United Nations Supervision Mission for Syria (UNSMIS):
“We came here actually in order to observe and monitor the release for the prisoners in Damascus, and we attended the meeting with the head of Damascus police. Same point we monitor the process of releasing these prisoners.”
9. Wide shot, various detainees passing by UN vehicle as they walk outside of the prison
UN observers today (14 June) monitored the release of 239 detainees at the Damascus Police Department.
Teams from the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) also observed the release of an additional thirteen detainees in Idlib and Deir Ezzor (eight in Idlib and five in Deir Ezzor), bringing the total recorded to 252 detainees.
The mission was informed by the Syrian Government that a total of 500 prisoners are being released nationwide. The Chief of Damascus Police Col Ibrahim Saleh Ibrahim informed UNSMIS that the order for release was a direct verbal instruction from the President to the national security office on the evening of 13 June 2012.
Releasing prisoners is one of the demands of the six-point peace plan brokered by the Joint Special Envoy of the Arab League and the United Nations, Kofi Annan in March.
The plan calls for an end to violence, access for humanitarian agencies to provide relief to those in need, the release of detainees, the start of inclusive political dialogue that takes into account the aspirations of the Syrian people, and unrestricted access to the country for the international media.
Military observers serving with the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) have been charged with monitoring the cessation of violence in Syria, as well as monitoring and supporting the full implementation of a six-point peace plan put forward by Joint Special Envoy Annan in March.
