Press Release: Declaration by High Representative, Catherine Ashton, on behalf of the EU on the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Syria, Brussels, 22 March 2011

The EU expresses its profound concern and strongly condemns the violent repression, including through the use of live ammunition, of peaceful protests in various locations across Syria in recent days resulting in the death of several demonstrators, wounded persons and arbitrary detentions, which is unacceptable. The EU calls on the Syrian authorities to refrain from using violence and to listen to the legitimate aspirations of the people and address them through inclusive political dialogue
and genuine reforms and not through repression.