Syria's state security court sentenced prominent opposition figure and lawyer Habib Issa, 56, to five years in prison for threatening the constitution and inciting armed revolt, Issa's attorney Hassan Abdel Azim told reporters.
Azim blasted the verdict as "iniquitous and illegal" and called it a "political decision aimed at terrorising ... the national democratic opposition." Issa was also punished for "spreading lies that weakened the morale of the nation; inciting dissension between denominations" and "publishing false information inside the country," Azim added Monday, according to AFP.
Issa, 56, was arrested last September in a dragnet that rounded up nine other opposition figures whom the Syrian authorities targeted as it looked to crack down on dissent in the country. (Albawaba.com)
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