I condemn the violence against Syrian citizens in Hama, Deir e-Zour and other cities that shows no signs of ending. Hama and Deir eZour have been under siege for days by regime forces who have reportedly even used an anti-aircraft gun. This brutality exposes the regime‘s claims to be committed to a reform process as an utter sham.
I deplore the arrest of the political activist Walid al-Bunni and his two sons.  Their arrest show the regime‘s disregard for meaningful dialogue. I call on the authorities to release them immediately.
We must not watch in silence while hundreds are killed and thousands more detained and tortured. I therefore welcome the strong condemnation by countries across the Arab world and Turkey of the regime‘s actions and am urgently working with partners on increasing the pressure further on President Assad and those around him. I discussed this with German Foreign Minister Westerwelle today.