Syria frees economist after nearly 7 years in jail

Human rights activists say Syria has released a well-known dissident after nearly seven years in jail. Muhannad al-Hassani, the head of Syria's National Organization for Human Rights, tells The Associated Press that Aref Dalila was freed Thursday. Another activist, Ammar Qurabi, tells AP that Dalila is in good health. They did not say why he was freed early, nearly seven years into a 10-year sentence. But his release comes after more than two dozen Syrian and Arab human rights groups urged Syria to free Dalila, who they said was in ailing health. Dalila, 68, was arrested in 2001 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to change the Syrian constitution, inciting armed rebellion and spreading false... [read full story]