Syrian opposition raises detainees at talks

The UN envoy to Syria says opposition officials have raised the issue of detainees in government jails at indirect peace talks being held in Geneva.

Staffan De Mistura tells reporters after meeting the opposition delegation that progress has been made on humanitarian aid and the reduction of violence but not on the issue of detainees.

The release of detainees was a key opposition demand ahead of the indirect peace talks.

Senior opposition official George Sabra says tens of thousands of detainees are being held by the Syrian government. He says government prisons are not places “to hold prisoners but to kill them.”

Another opposition official, Basma Kodmani, says an average of 50 detainees are killed in Syrian custody every day.

De Mistura and Sabra say they spoke about aid reaching the besieged Damascus suburb of Daraya.