Syrian dissident jailed

Dissidents and members of parliament have been jailed

A Syrian state security court has sentenced opposition dissident Habib Saleh to three years in jail, his lawyer says.

The court found Mr Saleh guilty of "undermining national sentiment and opposing the aims of the revolution" that brought the ruling Baath party to power in 1963.

The 52-year-old businessman from the north-western town of Tartous was arrested last year after holding debates at which he voiced criticism of the government.

Earlier this year, two opposition members of the Syrian parliament who were arrested with Mr Saleh - Riad Seif and Maamoun Homsi - were given jail sentences on charges of trying to change the constitution by illegal means.

Fading hopes

There is no appeal against the verdict in Mr Saleh's case.

Reformers have placed hopes in Assad

His lawyer, Haitham Maleh, said the ruling was "unfair" and had been "prepared in advance".

Journalists and diplomats had been banned from attending the trial.

Correspondents say the sentences have damaged hopes that President Bashar Assad would allow greater freedom after decades of authoritarian rule under Hafez al-Assad.

After taking office in July 2000, Mr Assad released almost 600 political prisoners.

Last November, another 122, most of them Islamists, were pardoned.