Originally published in 07 Sep 2011.
A Syrian journalist has been arrested by security forces in Damascus. Amer Matar, from pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat was arrested on Saturday, though reasons for this are still unclear. Before his arrest, Matar emailed a friend a copy of his will, stating: I may not come back from Friday prayers. Matar, who is also a political activist, called for peaceful anti-regime demonstrations via Facebook, much like journalist Omar al-Assad who was arrested in July. The condition and whereabouts of both journalists remain unknown. Meanwhile, the Syrian government recently announced a new media law, proclaiming freedom of speech as a fundamental principle.
