Human Rights Watch calls for release of 5 political activists in Syria

Syria should immediately and unconditionally release five political activists from detention, the New York-based Human Rights Watch said Monday.

Ahmad Tohme, Jaber al-Shoufi, Akram al-Bunni, Fidaa al-Hourani and Ali Abdullah were detained by Syrian authorities following a meeting of opposition groups in Damascus last week.

The Damascus-based Syrian Organization for Human Rights said Abdullah was detained Monday, while Hourani went to the state security's intelligence headquarters Sunday morning in the northern town of Hama after being summoned and has not been seen or heard of since then.

The other three activists were detained last week, the …