Syria
Syria
This authoritarian regime has belatedly drawn the criticism of the international community, and even of its Muslim neighbours, for its terrible record of cruelty and gross violations of human rights. But little has changed as Syria, swept up in the turmoil of the Arab Spring, continues to use violent methods to suppress dissent.
This predominantly Arab country has endured unsettled times since it was formed from the lands of the French Mandate, the heir of the defeated Ottoman Empire. With a population of 23 million people, 90 percent Muslim, Syria's human rights record has always been poor.
As President Bashar al-Assad holds brutally onto power, read more here at Suite 101.
topic editor
Jen L. Jones - Based in Canada, Jones writes on human rights, history,and the natural world. She focuses also on Turkish and Scottish travel and ...