Yesterday, in the framework of the prisoners` exchange deal worked out between the Syrian regime and the Free Syrian Army, many political prisoners have been released. The four “brides of freedom” ( “عروسة الحرية”) are among them.
Rima Dali, Ru’a Ja’far, Kinda al-Za’our and Lubna al-Za’our,were arrested in Damascus on 21 November 2012, after staging a peaceful protest in the central market of Midhat Basha. They dressed up as ‘brides’ and silently called upon the end of violence in Syria by just raising banners. One of them said: “We are all exhausted, we want another solution”, clearly rejecting the increasing militarization of the conflict from both sides.
The four brides were immediately arrested by security officers and their whereabouts remained unknown for a long time.
Rima Dali, who is listed by Foreign Policy magazine among the 100 Global Thinkers, was arrested before by Syrian security for staging peaceful protests and civil disobedience actions.
She was given the nickname of “little red riding hood” after dressing up in red and raising a red sign in front of the Syrian Parliament saying “Stop the killing. We want to build a nation for all Syrians!”.
Peaceful activists and supporters of civil disobedience are having hard times in Syria these days. Many of them have been obliged to leave the country, others have been arrested or killed.
The fact that the brides of freedom are finally free is indeed good news for the entire Syrian peaceful movement, which has been struggling to survive amidst the violence in Syria.
MEDIAORIENTE 