Syrian opposition Parliament Member Maamoun al-Homsi has been sentenced to five years in prison after criticizing the Syrian government.
A Damascus court convicted Homsi of trying to change Syria's constitution by illegal means. He was also found guilty of defaming the Syrian authorities through allegations of corruption and claims that Syria lacks political freedom.
Homsi declared the verdict unjust.
Earlier this month, Homsi’s lawyers walked out to protest alleged court bias. They claimed the outcome of the case had already been decided.
The lawmaker was arrested in August 2001, during a Syrian crackdown in which many leading political dissidents, including fellow lawmaker Riad Seif and communist leader Riad Turk, were jailed.
Prior to his arrest, Homsi criticized Syria's lack of freedoms and called on Syrian authorities to end corruption and re-examine the state of emergency that has existed in the Middle-Eastern country since the 1960s. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
