U.S. Voices Concern Over Reports Syria Jailed Rights Activists

The United States expressed concern Friday over reports that Syria has recently jailed 14 human rights activists.

“We are concerned by reports that Syria has convicted and sentenced 14 human rights activists. We have frequently commented on the state of human rights conditions in Syria, most recently in our latest human rights report, which noted that the denial of fair trials and security for political cases remains a major human rights problem in Syria,” said State Department spokeswoman Margaret Tutwiler.

“We will continue to press the issue of human rights in our dialogue with the Syrian government,” she said.

U.S.-Syrian relations have improved dramatically since 1990. The two countries worked together in the coalition that drove Iraqi troops out of Kuwait and on U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace talks.