DAMASCUS - A Syrian witness in the UN probe into former Lebanese premier Rafiq Hariri's killing who has retracted his testimony against top officials in Syria said Wednesday that he fears for his fiancee in Lebanon.

"Hussam Taher Hussam says his fiancee in Lebanon is in danger and being put under pressure and threatened to testify against his fiance," his lawyer Omar Zohbi told a press conference, standing next to Hussam.

He said Hussam was demanding that the Lebanese government protect the woman, Tharwat al-Hujayri, while his client appealed to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and human rights organisations.

Hussam is a former intelligence agent whom the UN investigation into Hariri's murder in a February 14 bomb blast in Beirut quoted seven times in its interim report which implicates Syria. He recanted his testimony on Sunday.

He said on Syrian state television that he had testified against the brother and brother-in-law of President Bashar al-Assad only under duress and had been offered large bribes.

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