Syrian authorities tighten security

In Damascus, even death offers no respite from the suffocating conflict encroaching on the Syrian capital. The once secure central neighbourhoods of the city are being sucked into the turmoil ravaging Syria as rebel fighters battle President Bashar Al Al Assad’s forces on its periphery and step up rocket fire into central Damascus. Relatives of people killed in and around the city cannot retrieve bodies before signing a mountain of paperwork absolving government forces of blame — just the first obstacle to be overcome before they can start a mourning process that is itself highly restricted. Victims of violence cannot be described as “martyrs” in the death notices pasted on city walls and along narrow alleys unless they die fighting alongside President Bashar Al Assad’s forces. Only vague phrases, such as “due to a tragic accident”, are acceptable. Bodies cannot be taken to mosques for funeral prayers in case they become a platform for anti-Al Assad protest. Source: Gulfnews.com