Damascus: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad
has signed into effect a law imposing the death penalty on
anyone arming "terrorists", state media said Tuesday, amid
mounting clashes with rebel troops.
"The law provides for the death penalty for anyone
providing weapons or helping to provide weapons intended for
the carrying out of terrorist acts," the official SANA news
agency said.
The Syrian authorities contend that nine-month-old
protests are the work of "armed terrorists" not civilian
demonstrators as maintained by Western governments and human
rights groups.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, December 20, 2011, 18:47