Riad Seif, an independent member of the Syrian People’s Assembly (Parliament), was sentenced to five years imprisonment on 4 April by the Criminal Court in the capital Damascus. He was found guilty of a number of offences, including attempting to change the Constitution by illegal means and inciting ethnic strife. Amnesty International considers Riad Seif to be a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for his peaceful expression of political opinion and his involvement with civil and human rights groups.
