Syrian president issues amnesty - but what will it really mean?

That's the headline I just read. The claim is that "President Assad has by decree issued an amnesty on all [political] crimes committed before May 31, 2011."

I'm sure it doesn't mean much to those who have been in jail for years or even those who were rounded up out of their homes or randomly off the street in the past few months, then tortured for fun. I'm sure they might be happy to be released but they aren't going to sing the praises of Assad and his party after being detained and tortured.

Besides just before Syrian security forces started their forceful crackdown, the president had just lifted the emergency law in place since 1963, which in theory should have given the people the right to assemble and protest peacefully.

Right after the law was repealed the regime began it's crackdown. So sure they may empty the jails but will they stop torturing and killing people who assemble peacefully? It remains to be seen.