Syrian rights groups call for protection of peaceful protest

The Administrative Committee of the Syrian Federation of Human Rights Organizations and Bodies issued a human rights statement on peaceful protests calling for an end to rising prices and the deterioration of living standards in Syria.

The organizations and rights bodies called for the formation of independent workers’ committees at workplaces and the establishment of solidarity and coordination networks among workers across different sectors, with the aim of eventually forming independent labor unions in both the public and private sectors to defend the demands of workers from all components of Syrian society.

They also called for raising wages in line with prices and living costs, guaranteeing freedom of trade union organization and the rights to protest, strike and express opinions, and ending mass layoffs and reinstating dismissed workers in their jobs. They also called for providing health insurance for workers.

The organizations urged the Syrian transitional government to take steps to enact laws regulating the right to protest and peaceful assembly in accordance with constitutional and international standards, implement recommendations issued by relevant human rights bodies, and fulfill its international obligations concerning these rights.

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ANHA