An official of Amnesty International expressed hope today that four Jews still imprisoned in Syria would be released. Martin Ennals, secretary general of the London-based organization that acts on behalf of political prisoners said so here after spending four days in Damascus. He said he found the atmosphere in the Syrian capital much more relaxed than he had expected.
Ennals said he met with various Syrian officials but was prevented from meeting any officials of the Jewish community. He was the first representative of Amnesty International permitted to enter Syria. He said Syrian officials would admit to only two Jews imprisoned although according to Amnesty’s lists there are four Jews still in Syrian jails.
Last month, 14-18 Syrian Jews who had been imprisoned were released, Ennals said. He said that he asked Syrian authorities if they had complaints against Israel over the mistreatment of prisoners and was referred to the Palestinian organization in Damascus. Ennals said the organization gave him a list of 191 prisoners held in Israel but no charges of mistreatment.
(A delegation of Canadian Jews led by Sol Kanee, president of the Canadian Jewish Congress, visited Dr. George J. Tomeh, Syrian Ambassador to the United Nations in New York yesterday. They reported having had a full and frank discussion on the situation of Syrian Jews.)
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