In 1998, the media increased reporting on regional issues, including the Middle East peace process, and a number of articles as well as TV programs criticized official corruption and government inefficiency. Nonetheless, coverage of many topics can result in prosecution. At least ten journalists were imprisoned in Syria in 1998, according to Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists. Freedom of assembly is nonexistent. The Interior Ministry must grant citizens permission to hold meetings, and most public demonstrations are organized by the government or Ba'ath party.
Freedom of association is restricted.
Private associations must register with the government, which usually grants registration to groups that are non-political. The state prohibits Jehovah's Witnesses and Seventh-Day Adventists from worshiping as a community and from owning property. The security apparatus closely monitors the Jewish community, and Jews are generally barred from government employment. They are also the only minority group required to have their religion noted in their passports and identity cards. Religious instruction is mandatory in schools, with government-approved teachers and curricula.