AMMAN — Syria is dragging its feet on releasing prisoners under an amnesty declared by President Bashar al-Assad, raising fears of mass infections if the new coronavirus spreads through its overcrowded jails, rights groups said on Monday. The Damascus government has confirmed only 19 cases of infection from the global pandemic, with two deaths. But with a health system ravaged by almost a decade of civil war, it is widely feared Syria will not be able to contain the coronavirus. The United Nations envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, last week pointed to the risk of COVID-19, the highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, racing through the country's prisons and urged quick action to free prisoners. An amnesty declared by Assad on March 22 expanded the range of crimes covered by an amnesty announced last September.

Source: International New York Times April 06, 2020 14:15 UTC