Jordanian arrested in Syria 

(MENAFN - Jordan Times) Syrian authorities arrested a Jordanian man last week, according to his family.

Khalid Salim Hiary, a 40-year-old carpenter from the city of Salt, entered the troubled country from Lebanon and was arrested on the Syrian side of the border with Jordan on Thursday evening, his relative Ahmad Hiary told The Jordan Times on Monday.

"He had travelled through Syria to visit Lebanon. On his way back, he was arrested by Syrian border authorities," Ahmad Hiary said, adding that he did not yet know what charges his relative was facing.

Khalid Hiary, who owns a carpentry shop in Salt, some 20 kilometres northwest of Amman, was coming from Lebanon with a friend, who was not arrested by the Syrian authorities, according to the family.

Salt MP Khalid Hiary said he is following up on the case.

The lawmaker told The Jordan Times that the Jordanian embassy in Damascus could not reach officials at the Syrian foreign ministry due to the three-day Easter holiday.

"The embassy has sent an official letter to the foreign ministry there and hopefully there will be an answer by Wednesday, when government agencies return to work," the MP said, adding that he tried to contact the Syrian ambassador in Jordan but he was on holiday in Damascus.

An employee at the Syrian embassy in Amman told The Jordan Times that no officials were available to comment due to the holiday.