BEIRUT — The Syrian regime is expanding an intimidation campaign to keep people off the streets, human-rights activists say.
They report a sharp escalation in arbitrary arrests and unexplained disappearances — including people being plucked from their homes and offices in the middle of the day. One prominent activist in an upscale Damascus neighborhood was reportedly bundled into a car after being beaten by security officers.
“Syrian cities have witnessed in the past few days an insane escalation by authorities who are arresting anyone with the potential to stage protests and demonstrations,” Ammar Qurabi, who heads the National Organization for Human Rights in Syria, said Tuesday.
“The arrests have transformed Syria into a large prison,” he said, estimating that more than 1,000 people had been detained since Saturday in raids on houses.
But there were signs the protests will continue, with thousands of people gathering Tuesday in the coastal town of Banias, demanding freedom and urging the demise of Syria’s authoritarian regime, two witnesses said. The Associated Press
