UN praises 'potential' of Syria prisoner amnesty

UN special envoy Geir Pedersen on Sunday welcomed a general amnesty aimed at freeing thousands of Syrians from the Assad regime jails.

President Bashar al-Assad has decreed several amnesties during the country's devastating 11-year conflict, but the latest in April was the most comprehensive related to charges of "terrorism" since the conflict began, rights activists said.

"That amnesty has potential, and we are looking forward to see how it develops."

Assad's latest amnesty has seen more than 1,000 ppl released in recent weeks, according to @syriahr. Damascus has yet to announce figures but says releases ongoing. @AFPhttps://t.co/4gRoj4gbO0

— Hashem Osseiran (هاشم) (@HashemOsseiran) May 22, 2022

Pedersen, speaking to reporters in Damascus after a meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, said he had been briefed "in quite some detail" on the latest measure.

"I am very much looking forward to being kept informed on the progress on the implementation for that amnesty", Pedersen said before talks on a new constitution for Syria are to resume in Geneva.

"That amnesty has potential, and we are looking forward to see how it develops," Pedersen said.

Tens of thousands of Syrians remain in Syrian regime jails, many without charge. Many detainees have been tortured to death or executed without trial. Photos smuggled out of regime prisons by defectors such as Caesar have shocked the world.

The April decree granted a general amnesty to detainees convicted of terrorism charges except cases that led to the death of a person.

The Syrian regime Justice Ministry has said hundreds of inmates had been released, and a military official, Ahmad Touzan, told local media this week that the amnesty would cover thousands, including those who are wanted but not detained.

Touzan refused to disclose the number of inmates freed, saying "numbers are changing by the hour."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor, which relies on a large network of sources inside Syria, says around 1,142 inmates have so far been released across the country under the amnesty, with hundreds more expected.

In the next few days, the Syrian regime and opposition are to hold the latest round of constitutional talks in Switzerland, under a process that began in 2019.

It is hoped the talks can pave the way towards a broader political process.

Pedersen said he is "hopeful that this will be a positive meeting that can help bring us forward so that we can start to see... some confidence building measures," Pedersen said.

Syria's civil war erupted in 2011 after the Bashar al-Assad's regime violently repressed largely peaceful protests. 

It quickly spiralled into a complex conflict that pulled in numerous actors and foreign powers. The war has left around half a million people dead and displaced millions. Most of the casualties have been as a result of regime bombardment of civilian areas.

Throughout the war, the UN has been striving to nurture a political resolution.