Israel Unexpectedly Frees Syrian Prisoners

By: Tucker Reals
Topics: Syria

This story was filed by CBS News' George Baghdadi in Damascus.

Israel has unexpectedly released two Syrian men who spent 25 years in Israeli jails, the longest terms ever served by Syrians in custody of the Jewish state, Syria's state-run news agency reported Friday.

Bisher Suleiman Ahmad Maqt, 44, was freed suddenly despite having 12 years left to serve on his sentence. Also released was Assem Mahmud Ahmed Wali, who had two years left.

It was not clear yet why the men were released and whether the move was connected with an expected prisoner exchange between Israel and the Islamic fundamentalist movement Hamas, which is holding captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit inside the Gaza Strip.

The news agency, SANA, said Maqt and Wali were, "released by Israeli occupation forces on Thursday after spending 25 years, during which they defied all forms of torture and terrorism at the hands of Israeli jailers."

Both were taken by family members to the Syrian village of Majdal Shams, which is still under Israeli occupation.

"We are so confident that the occupied Golan (Heights) will return to the homeland... We have total confidence that all other captives will be released by virtue of the Syrian people's struggle and the courageous leadership of President Bashar al-Assad," SANA quoted the two men as saying immediately after regaining their freedom.

"The captives' battle and the oppression to which citizens of the occupied lands in Palestine and Golan are exposed is part of the existing conflict with Israel... struggle against the Israeli occupation should continue to achieve liberation," Maqt said.

Al-Wali, SANA added, expressed happiness over his freedom, saying his "first words uttered after being released on the thresholds of Golan were, 'we are free.'"

"We are determined to resist until we gain freedom and break the chains," al-Wali was quoted as saying.