Syrian activists call on Arab League, urge to stop violence

In a statement, more than 170 local and international organisations called on the Arab League, ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of the pan-Arab organization in Cairo to discuss a recent visit by the league’s chief, Nabil Al Araby, to Syria.

Al Araby had recently proposed an Arab initiative to defuse the crisis in Syria, demanding an end to violence, the release of political prisoners and a clear outline and timetable for a transition to democracy.

The groups said the initiative lacked "guarantees and benchmarks" to ensure its implementation.

"For the Arab Initiative to make a real difference for ordinary Syrians, it must ensure that independent observers access the country and monitor the behavior of the security services," said Nadim Houry, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"Otherwise, the initiative will not outlive the ongoing bullets of the security services."

The UN said Monday that the death toll has reached at least 2,600 from the government's violent crackdown on protests over the past six months.