Joy in Germany at end of al-Assad dynasty rule in Syria

Syrian exiles in Germany expressed euphoria on Sunday at the toppling of the regime of Predident Bashar al-Assad as they followed news of the rapid developments in their home country.

"Let us reconstruct our Syria together," human rights lawyer Michal Shammas wrote on his Facebook page.

Hassan al-Aswad of the Syrian Democratic Alliance called on Syrians to forgive those who had been part of the old system but who had not committed serious crimes.

The lawyer from the south-western Syrian city of Daraa, who lives in exile in Hanover, published a video in which he praised the fact that the rebels had not destroyed state infrastructure during their advance on Damascus.

"I forgive the person who has occupied my house since 2012." He added: "May God forgive you. I don't want anything from you."

Syrians were facing a major test, al-Aswad said. "War is not easy, but peace is more difficult," he said. Those guilty of crimes should face a fair trial – something Syrians had not experienced in the past, he added.

Since Saturday, Syrian opponents of the toppled regime have been publishing videos showing the liberation of prisoners. They are reported to include political prisoners detained under the rule of Bashar's father Hafez al-Assad, who died in 2000.

Meanwhile in Berlin, a group held a spontaneous demonstration in celebration of the change of power in Syria in the city's Neukölln district waving flags inscribed with the legend "Free Syria" on Sunday.

Police described the gathering as a "relatively small group" and said no noteworthy incidents had occurred.

The demonstration was preceded on Saturday evening by a motorcade through Neukölln on Saturday evening. Police reported a gathering of Syrians "who demonstrated against the caliphate" numbering in the hundreds. No noteworthy incidents were reported.

Neukölln in the south-east of the German capital is home to a large number of immigrants.

Over the recent past it has seen violent pro-Palestinian demonstrations voicing anger at Israeli conduct in the war in the Gaza Strip.