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| Syria: Fresh attacks raise ceasefire doubts - live updates | Syria: Fresh attacks raise ceasefire doubts - live updates |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 10.27am: Russia could support a UN security council motion on Syria backing Kofi Annan's peace plan if it doesn't contain ultimatums to Bashar al-Assad's government, the Russian foreign minister has said. | |
| Sergey Lavrov (left) said on a trip to Kyrgyzstan: | |
| When we consider a document at the security council, we shall proceed from the principle of not doing any harm. It would be good if we are able to reach a consensus aimed at helping Kofi Annan's mission and not use ultimatums that would escalate tensions ... | |
| Russia believes that any steps regarding the Syrian problem should be aimed exclusively at supporting Annan's mission. It's very important not to undermine this process with ultimatums or threats. Regrettably, some are willing to do that ... | |
| While Kofi Annan has insisted on the demilitarization of cities, statements coming from Istanbul have sent a different signal to the opposition. | |
| 10.05am: Tunisia: Two atheists have been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail and fined 1,200 dinars ($800) for "disturbing the public order" and "transgressing morality" with their anti-religious views. According to Tunisia Live, the charges relate to caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad posted on Facebook. | |
| One of the convicted men, Ghazi Beji, has fled to Greece but the other, Jabeur Mejri, is imprisoned in Tunisia. Two human rights organisations in the country have taken up their case and a petition has been launched on the internet. | |
| The website atheistica.com has more information about Beji and Mejri's background. | |
| 9.59am: Nagham Issa has passed on an interview she conducted with the Syrian actress and opposition supporter, Fadwa Suleiman, in Paris. Suleiman, an Alawite, fled to Paris two weeks ago after escaping into Jordan from Syria. She became an icon of the revolution after appearing at demonstrations, such as this one in Homs last year. | |
| After arriving in Paris, Suleiman was quoted by AFP as saying she was saddened to see that "the revolution is not going in the right direction, that it is becoming armed, that the opposition which wanted to resist peacefully is playing the game of the regime and that the country is heading for sectarian war". | |
| Suleiman refused to discuss the issue of sectarianism when asked by Issa. But she reiterated that the army defectors should only use force to protect protesters. Here are the details of the interview: | |
| What is your aim in coming to Paris? | |
| Firstly, I wish to return to Syria, as I want to be with my people, however my main aim in Paris is to make the people of the world wake up because all the people are hostages to the politicians and the machine. By the machine I mean the systems of life, the people are apathetic and need to be woken up to what is going on in Syria and how we need to take action to help the Syrian people | |
| What needs to happen to improve the situation in Syria? | |
| I think the priority is to establish and support a security council made of defected officers and to declare an honorary agreement that should say their goal is to defend the protestors and civilians. They should also try to convince armed civilians to put down their weapons because we need to keep our revolution peaceful. I am against arming the revolution, this will lead to civil war. They should also try to include these de armed civilians in the new security council for Syria, to work towards a political solution. | |
| Can the international community do more? | |
| The international community must say that those leading the war in Syria must be considered war criminals and brought to justice. | |
| What is you reaction to the Kofi Annan Plan? | |
| It is a very important step. I think that the regime and opposition must apply this because its very important to stop the violence in Syria, because as long as the violence exists we can not have dialogue for a political solution in Syria. | |
| When I asked her about a sectarian war in Syria she said she did not want to talk about this presently. | |
| 9.27am: Videos of some of the areas that have reportedly come under attack this morning have been posted on YouTube. In this one, purportedly filmed in the Damascus suburb of Douma, the sound of gunfire can be heard. | 9.27am: Videos of some of the areas that have reportedly come under attack this morning have been posted on YouTube. In this one, purportedly filmed in the Damascus suburb of Douma, the sound of gunfire can be heard. |
| Explosions and heavy machinegun fire rocked Douma, just 12 kilometres (8 miles) from the seat of government, activists from the Revolutionary Council of the Damascus Countryside said. | Explosions and heavy machinegun fire rocked Douma, just 12 kilometres (8 miles) from the seat of government, activists from the Revolutionary Council of the Damascus Countryside said. |
| Another video shows smoke rising over Hraytan, near Aleppo, which an activist told AP has been subjected to intense shelling by tanks and helicopters since 5am (6am BST). | Another video shows smoke rising over Hraytan, near Aleppo, which an activist told AP has been subjected to intense shelling by tanks and helicopters since 5am (6am BST). |
| Another video shows smoke over Anadan, which is also near Aleppo and where clashes have been reported. | Another video shows smoke over Anadan, which is also near Aleppo and where clashes have been reported. |
| 8.59am: Good morning. Welcome to Middle East Live. Syrian activists say violence is continuing ahead of a UN-Arab League brokered ceasefire due to start on 10 April. | 8.59am: Good morning. Welcome to Middle East Live. Syrian activists say violence is continuing ahead of a UN-Arab League brokered ceasefire due to start on 10 April. |
| Syria | Syria |
| • Activists say Syrian troops have launched assaults on several towns around the country including two near the country's largest city of Aleppo, raising fresh doubts that a ceasefire due to start on 10 April will be implemented. Syria's state-run media reported on Wednesday that the government had begun to comply with the terms of a cease-fire plan brokered by Kofi Annan, the special envoy of the United Nations and Arab League, requiring Syrian forces to pull back from major population centres. | • Activists say Syrian troops have launched assaults on several towns around the country including two near the country's largest city of Aleppo, raising fresh doubts that a ceasefire due to start on 10 April will be implemented. Syria's state-run media reported on Wednesday that the government had begun to comply with the terms of a cease-fire plan brokered by Kofi Annan, the special envoy of the United Nations and Arab League, requiring Syrian forces to pull back from major population centres. |
| The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says troops are clashing with rebel army defectors in the northern towns of Hraytan and Anadan near Aleppo.The Observatory also reported fighting in the Damascus suburb of Douma and the southern village of Kfar Shams. | The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says troops are clashing with rebel army defectors in the northern towns of Hraytan and Anadan near Aleppo.The Observatory also reported fighting in the Damascus suburb of Douma and the southern village of Kfar Shams. |
| Mohammed Abu Nasr, an activist in Hraytan, said the town of about 50,000 was subjected to intense shelling by tanks and helicopters since 5am (6am BST). He added that a ground offensive began three hours later and hundreds of troops were pushing their way into the town. | Mohammed Abu Nasr, an activist in Hraytan, said the town of about 50,000 was subjected to intense shelling by tanks and helicopters since 5am (6am BST). He added that a ground offensive began three hours later and hundreds of troops were pushing their way into the town. |
| "There are wounded people in the streets that we cannot reach because of the shelling," Abu Nasr said by telephone. "The situation is catastrophic in the city. Large numbers of people are fleeing." | "There are wounded people in the streets that we cannot reach because of the shelling," Abu Nasr said by telephone. "The situation is catastrophic in the city. Large numbers of people are fleeing." |
| • Between 800 and 900 Syrian refugees fled to Turkey from Syria in the past 24 hours, a Turkish official told Reuters. "There has been an increased flow through Reyhanli and the number was 800 to 900 yesterday," the official said, referring to a border town in Turkey's southern Hatay province. There are now close to 21,000 Syrian refugees living in several camps in Hatay and in the neighbouring Turkish province of Gaziantep. | • Between 800 and 900 Syrian refugees fled to Turkey from Syria in the past 24 hours, a Turkish official told Reuters. "There has been an increased flow through Reyhanli and the number was 800 to 900 yesterday," the official said, referring to a border town in Turkey's southern Hatay province. There are now close to 21,000 Syrian refugees living in several camps in Hatay and in the neighbouring Turkish province of Gaziantep. |
| • Russia has taken new steps to exert its diplomatic influence over the violent conflict there in Syria, the New York Times reports. The Syrian government's most powerful ally has invited both the Syrian foreign minister and representatives of the opposition to Moscow for talks this month and warned foreign sympathisers of armed rebels not to supply them with more weapons. | • Russia has taken new steps to exert its diplomatic influence over the violent conflict there in Syria, the New York Times reports. The Syrian government's most powerful ally has invited both the Syrian foreign minister and representatives of the opposition to Moscow for talks this month and warned foreign sympathisers of armed rebels not to supply them with more weapons. |
| The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on its Twitter account that the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, would hold talks in Moscow with his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Tuesday — the deadline for compliance with the initial phase of Mr. Annan's cease-fire plan — and that representatives of the National Coordination Committee, an opposition group inside Syria, would visit the Kremlin for talks 17-18 April. | The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on its Twitter account that the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem, would hold talks in Moscow with his counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Tuesday — the deadline for compliance with the initial phase of Mr. Annan's cease-fire plan — and that representatives of the National Coordination Committee, an opposition group inside Syria, would visit the Kremlin for talks 17-18 April. |
| Lavrov ...admonished the so-called "Friends of Syria" group of anti-Assad countries, which met in Turkey with exile Syrian opposition groups this past weekend, not to provide weapons to rebel combatants, as some of those countries have suggested. | Lavrov ...admonished the so-called "Friends of Syria" group of anti-Assad countries, which met in Turkey with exile Syrian opposition groups this past weekend, not to provide weapons to rebel combatants, as some of those countries have suggested. |
| "Even if the Syrian opposition were armed to the teeth, it would not be able to beat the government's forces," Mr. Lavrov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. | "Even if the Syrian opposition were armed to the teeth, it would not be able to beat the government's forces," Mr. Lavrov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. |
| Libya | Libya |
| • The international criminal court has told Libyan authorities to surrender former dictator Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (left), who is wanted in The Hague for crimes against humanity. In a written ruling published on Wednesday, judges at the ICC rejected a request by Libya to postpone handing over Saif and urged the country's rulers to "proceed immediately with the surrender". Human Rights Watch urged Libya to act on the order. "It is imperative that Libyan authorities start preparing to surrender Saif al-Islam," said Liz Evenson, senior counsel with the group's international justice programme. "This is what co-operation with the court means." | • The international criminal court has told Libyan authorities to surrender former dictator Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (left), who is wanted in The Hague for crimes against humanity. In a written ruling published on Wednesday, judges at the ICC rejected a request by Libya to postpone handing over Saif and urged the country's rulers to "proceed immediately with the surrender". Human Rights Watch urged Libya to act on the order. "It is imperative that Libyan authorities start preparing to surrender Saif al-Islam," said Liz Evenson, senior counsel with the group's international justice programme. "This is what co-operation with the court means." |