A Syrian human rights group has called on the Libyan regime to free 18 political prisoners held in Libyan jails since 1990 on charges of trying to overthrow Muammar Gaddafi. "The Libyan government recently freed political detainees but it continues to deliberately disregard the situation of dozens of Syrian and Palestinian prisoners of conscience who have been in jail since 1990," said in a statement the Syrian Organisation for Human Rights.The statement referred to Libya's decision earlier last March to release from prison 84 members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood movement held since the late 1990s. The president of the human rights group Abdul Karim Rihawi said 15 of those in jail are Palestinians and three are Syrians. Rihawi asked the Libyan government to "immediately release these prisoners and pay damages to them" and called on international NGOs to put pressure on the regime.