Complex sentence: The first lady was criticized for remaining silent during the Syrian uprising after only issuing her first official statement to international media in February 2012 through a representative over a year after the first serious protests.
Split into simpler sentences: The first lady was criticized for remaining silent throughout the Syrian uprising. She only issued her first official statement to international media, since the beginning of the insurrection, in February 2012 through a representative over a year after the first serious protests.