Syrian amnesties freed less than 6% of detainees, report reveals

Freeing of prisoners hailed as acts of benevolence by Assad regime still leave estimated 136,000 people in jail

Prisoner amnesties decreed by the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, during the country's 10-year war have freed less than 6% of detainees, with an estimated 136,000 people remaining in state prisons, a report has revealed.

The amnesties, which were hailed as acts of benevolence by officials and Assad, have put barely a dent in the huge numbers still held in the regime's infamous prison systems, some for years after their sentences had expired.