At Arab summit, Syrian rebel leader urges respect for human rights

DOHA (Reuters) - Syrian opposition leader Moaz Alkhatib on Tuesday urged Arab rulers to free political prisoners and join Syrians in breaking "a link of repression", departing from the anodyne rhetoric common at Arab summits.

Taking Syria's seat at the Arab League gathering in Qatar for the first time, Alkhatib pulled no punches in his appeal to the assembled emirs and presidents, who are often criticised by human rights groups for their handling of domestic dissent.