Former Syrian parliamentarian, Mamoun Homsi, was arrested in 2001 and spent five years in prison. He was arrested in a crackdown on democracy forums that emerged shortly after President Bashar Assad came to power in 2000.

Today Homsi lives in exile in Lebanon with his family. He spends his days drafting petitions and letters to bring international attention the plight of Syrian reformists in jail.

This is his video letter to the next American President.