Amateur video shows dozens of prisoners greeting their families after being freed from Damascus Central Prison.
They are among those granted amnesty by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for alleged crimes during the embattled country's 10-month uprising.
But critics of al-Assad question the validity of the latest prisoner release, saying many of those detained were held in secret facilities without charge.
They also claim many more are still behind bars and have been subjected to torture.
Syria is under fire for brutally cracking down on anti-government protesters.
Arab League monitors are in the midst of assessing whether the country is complying with a league peace plan set to open meaningful dialogue with opposition parties and stop bloodshed.
Jessica Gray, Reuters