Syria expels Reuters correspondent

Reuters said it stood by its coverage from Syria, where a week of protests in southern towns has presented President Bashar al-Assad with the deepest crisis of his 11-year rule.

Oweis, a Jordanian national who had been based in Damascus since February 2006, was told to leave the country late on Friday. A senior information ministry official told him: “Your accreditation has been withdrawn and you are being expelled because of your unprofessional and false news. You have to leave immediately.”

Editor-in-chief Stephen Adler said: “We regret the decision by the Syrian government to exclude our correspondent. We stand by our coverage and are committed to continuing our accurate and impartial reporting about Syria.”

Oweis was the first foreign correspondent to be accredited for Reuters in Damascus. He has also reported from Baghdad, Beirut, Amman and London. ■