Civil liberties, most especially the freedoms of speech and association, were significantly curtailed and regime opponents risked torture and imprisonment.

Mr Gul denies that an armed offensive is being planned, but accepts that Turkey has welcomed regime opponents.

After Hitler's rise to power in 1933, a group of regime opponents from various backgrounds consolidated under the leadership of Harro Schulze-Boysen and Arvid Harnack.

Increasingly, regime opponents backed by defecting military personnel have resorted to armed resistance across the board.

Widespread arrests and government reshufflings followed, accompanied by public "confessions" from regime opponents and allegations of torture and executions.

On May 26, 2012, al-Sheikh said regime opponents had lost all faith in the UN Security Council, on which Damascus has Russia as a powerful backer.

Dissidents and regime opponents were forced to ingest the oil in large amounts, triggering severe diarrhoea and dehydration, which could ultimately cause death.

According to various Iranian opposition groups, CIS may be a front for the Iranian government which aims at identifying regime opponents.

As one of his father's major security lieutenants, he helped organize thousands of executions and disappearances of regime opponents.

In private, regime opponents mock her; even those close to the government express dismay at her reported behavior.