Watchdog

EU lawmakers have strongly condemned the arrest in Belarus of the chairman of the Council of the Union of Poles in Belarus, Andrzej Poczobut.

All major political parties in the European Parliament adopted a resolution on July 5 calling for an investigation into the case of Poczobut, who is also a journalist with the Polish daily "Gazeta Wyborcza," and for all the charges against him to be dropped.

A statement issued by the EU lawmakers "deplores the fact that the Belarusian authorities are making it impossible for journalists to operate, by introducing repressive laws aimed at silencing civil society activities."

It also calls for Belarus to bring its legislation into line with international standards and eliminate censorship.

Poczobut was arrested in the Belarusian town of Grodno last month and charged on grounds of libel against President Alyaksandr Lukashenka.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the ill-treatment and torture of civilians has become state policy in Syria.

In a report released on July 3, the New York-based rights watchdog says torture has become a crime against humanity in Syria and should be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.

HRW says it has identified 27 detention centers run by intelligence agencies in Syria.

Ole Solvang, a researcher at HRW, said the Syrian regime was "running an archipelago of torture centers scattered across the country."

The 81-page report says most former detainees interviewed said they were tortured or had witnessed the torture of others.

Torture methods included prolonged beatings with batons and cables, and detainees, including children, being held in painful stress positions for prolonged periods.

In other news, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been quoted as saying he wished Syrian forces had not shot down a Turkish jet last month.

With reporting by dpa