Syrian government arrests MP

Damascus - Syria's arrest of independent MP, Mr Riad Seif was part of a plan to silence the opposition whose ideas are contrary…

Damascus - Syria's arrest of independent MP, Mr Riad Seif was part of a plan to silence the opposition whose ideas are contrary to the regime, an opposition spokesman said yesterday.

Mr Seif was arrested on Thursday for committing "crimes," SANA news agency reported. The National Democratic Rally (NDR), a coalition of opposition parties, described the arrest as "a new blow to (the opposition) prepared within the framework of a plan aimed at muzzling those whose ideas are contrary to the regime" of President Bashar al-Assad.