Report: Syrian Opposition Activist Moves to France
A key Syrian opposition activist has left her homeland and is living in France, an online newspaper reported Saturday.
"I left Syria, in secret, at the request of the revolutionaries," Suhair al-Atassi told the website Mediapart.
Atassi has become an important figure in the opposition movement against President Bashar Assad's regime, which has been clamping down on protesters and dissidents for 10 months.
The ensuing fighting and violence have led to more than 5,400 deaths, according to the United Nations. Authorities in Damascus blame "armed terrorist groups" for the trouble.
Atassi said she left Syria to bring the opposition movement "to a new stage, at a critical time."
"I didn't leave because of danger," Atassi said, noting she had already been threatened with death.
Atassi said she left Syria in November, having spent seven months in hiding.
After coordinating domestic opposition, she is now calling on the international community to "provide political and logistical support to the revolution."
Other countries need to recognize the opposition National Syrian Council and extend support to Syrian army deserters, she said.
Source: Agence France Presse
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/27408 |