U.S. Department of State: Release of Arbitrarily Detained Civilians and U.S. Citizens in Syria to Avert COVID-19 Spread
In a press statement, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson Morton Ortagus said, “In light of threats posed by COVID-19, the United States reiterates its calls for the Assad regime to take concrete steps to protect the fate of thousands of civilians, including U.S. citizens, being held arbitrarily in overcrowded and inhumane conditions in regime detention centers. … We demand the immediate release of all civilians arbitrarily detained — including women, children, and the elderly. Additionally, the regime must also immediately grant impartial and independent entities, including medical and health organizations, access to regime detention facilities…” (3/25).