Syrians are “experiencing the taste of freedom” for the first time in decades, according to the top official in the Middle East region from the UN human rights office, OHCHR.

Mohammad Al Nasour visited the country this week for the first time in years after being repeatedly denied access by the fallen Assad regime.

The Middle East and North Africa section chief spoke to UN News’s Ezzat El-Ferri from Damascus on Wednesday and highlighted the contribution OHCHR can make to democratic change in a country where people are “determined to have a future that includes fundamental freedoms”.