Syrians in Berlin seek release of loved ones after presidential amnesty

Rojin Derik holds a picture of her brother Mohammed at a sit-in protest organized by Syrian activists, calling for the release of political detainees after an amnesty decree by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last week, in Berlin, Germany, May 7, 2022. REUTERS/Christian Mang

For ten years, Rojin Derki hoped her brother Mohammad was still alive and would one day be released from a Syrian government prison after his arrest in 2012.

Yet when a presidential decree last week gave a general amnesty for prisoners, she had mixed feelings.