Press release (Link below to download full report):
Paris – The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) announced in its latest report, released today, that it documented at least 2,218 cases of arbitrary arrests/ detentions in 2021, 242 of them in December; detainees in 2021 include 85 children and 77 women, with SNHR stressing that any openness to the Syrian regime means an escalation of restrictions, arrests, torture and enforced disappearances.
The 45-page report explains that most of the arrests in Syria are carried out without any judicial warrant while the victims are passing through checkpoints or during raids, with the security forces of the regime’s four main intelligence services often responsible for extra-judicial detentions. Every detainee is tortured from the very first moment of his or her arrest and denied any opportunity to contact his or her family or to have access to a lawyer. The authorities also flatly deny the arbitrary arrests they have carried out and most of the detainees are subsequently categorized as forcibly disappeared.
This report outlines the record of arbitrary arrests/ detentions it recorded both in the past month of December and in the whole of 2021 by the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces in Syria, as well as shedding light on the most notable individual cases and incidents of arbitrary arrest and detention that the SNHR’s team documented during the same period, in addition to categorizing cases and incidents of arrest according to the location of the incident. The report does not include those kidnappings and abductions in which the report was unable to identify the responsible party.
The report also documents arbitrary arrests that were subsequently categorized as enforced disappearances. A number of criteria must be met before SNHR will classify a case as an enforced disappearance: the individual must have been detained for at least 20 days without his or her family being able to obtain any information from the relevant authorities about their status or location, with those responsible for the disappearance denying any knowledge of the individual’s arrest or whereabouts.
The report notes that Syrian regime forces have continued to persecute and target Syrian citizens in areas under regime control in connection with their political dissent and expression of opinions, despite the right to both being guaranteed by the constitution and international law. This proves once again the truth of the crucial point which we have reiterated several times previously, namely that no Syrian citizen can feel safe from arrest since these are carried out without any basis in law or any oversight by any independent judiciary, and are perpetrated by the security services with no involvement by the judiciary. Following these arrests, detainees are routinely classified as forcibly disappeared persons, and therefore the areas under the control of the Syrian regime cannot be considered to constitute any sort of safe haven for residents there; all this underlines the fact that regime-controlled areas of Syria are very definitely not a safe haven for the return of refugees or IDPs. The report stresses that there will be no stability or safety in light of the survival of the regime’s brutal security services, who have committed crimes against humanity since 2011 and are still continuing to do so up to the current date. The report adds that among the main issues concerning arrests and detentions documented by SNHR in December and in the whole of 2021 were that the Syrian regime, at the beginning of January, made a series of appointments and transfers of administrative positions and senior officers in several security branches in the Syrian governorates, with SNHR believing that these measures were the reason for the reduction in the number of arrests by the regime by the end of the same month; despite this, regime forces have continued to persecute and arrest individuals who had concluded settlements of their security status with the regime in areas that had previously concluded settlement agreements with it; these arrests have been concentrated in Aleppo, Damascus Suburbs and Daraa governorates, with these operations continuing throughout 2021, mostly taking place during campaigns of mass raids and arrests and at checkpoints.
The report refers to arrests, most of which were carried out by the regime’s criminal security branches spread across Syrian governorates, targeting pro-regime media workers and civilians, including university students, lawyers and state employees, over their criticism of the difficult living conditions and the regime’s governmental corruption in the areas controlled by the Syrian regime. As the report reveals, March saw arrests carried out by the Syrian regime against Syrian citizens in connection with their involvement in activities connected with the popular uprising for democracy in Syria. The report also documents arrests carried out by Syrian regime forces in connection with civilians trying to migrate illegally by sea and via multiple land border crossings, as well as arrests targeting civilians while they were visiting the Immigration and Passports offices in Syrian cities to obtain documents related to traveling abroad. In addition, the report records nearly 218 arrests of returnees (refugees and IDPs) to areas under the control of Syrian regime forces, including seven children. The report also documents arrests targeting civilians on the grounds that they did not participate in the ‘presidential elections’ held on May 26. As the report reveals, the year 2021 saw random arrests targeting civilians, including elderly people, women and children, concentrated in many areas of Daraa governorate in connection with the deteriorating security conditions and the residents’ rejection of the regime forces’ security presence in their areas. The report also documents arrests targeting a number of civilian traders and merchants, in connection with their stopping their commercial activities and attempting to leave the country, with these detainees charged with carrying out acts that would harm the ‘prestige’ of the Syrian state.
In terms of releases from prisons and detention centers in 2021, the report records that Syrian regime forces released at least 691 individuals, including 55 children and 36 women, distributed according to their background as follows: 343 individuals – most of them from the governorates of Daraa and Damascus Suburbs – were released in the context of the reconciliation and settlement agreements carried out by the Syrian regime in both governorates; 218 individuals were released from civil prisons in various governorates, after the end of their arbitrarily imposed sentences, with their release not being linked to the Amnesty Decree No. 13 of 2021; 24 individuals were released from the security branches without having undergone any trials, following detention for periods ranging from a couple of weeks to two months; 106 individuals were released from detention centers in connection with the issuance of the Amnesty Decree No. 13 of 2021.
As the report reveals, the released detainees spent their periods of arrest/ detention in extremely poor conditions which included being subjected to torture, and endured an almost complete lack of healthcare and medical care, along with severe overcrowding; all had been arrested without receiving any explanation of the reasons for their detention and without any arrest warrants being provided.
Meanwhile, Syrian Democratic Forces continued enforcing the group’s policies of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance throughout 2021, targeting activists and members of civil society groups who oppose their policies. The report also records SDF carrying out mass raids and arrests of civilians, media activists and members of the Kurdistan Democratic Party who took part in anti-SDF demonstrations in areas under its control, as well as targeting civilians for their kinship relationships with individuals in the Armed Opposition/ the Syrian National Army. The report also documents detentions of teachers and students over their participation in protests held to condemn the earlier arrest of other teachers by the SDF, as well as detentions targeting students, teachers and members of the Christian Syriac Orthodox Creed Council, over their criticism of and refusal to adopt the educational curriculum imposed by the SDF in areas under its control. In December, as throughout the whole of 2021, SDF carried out campaigns of mass raids and detentions, targeting civilians on the supposed pretext of fighting ISIS cells, with some of these campaigns backed by US-led coalition helicopters, and other campaigns targeting media activists, as well as medical personnel, which were accompanied by attacks on medical facilities. The report also records Syrian Democratic Forces detaining children with the aim of taking them to its training and recruitment camps and forcibly conscripting them.
In the context of cases in which individuals have been released, the report documents in 2021 that Syrian Democratic Forces released 269 civilians, including two women, from SDF detention centers. The duration of detention for those released ranged from eight months to two years, with most being released as a result of tribal mediation.
As the report further documents, 2021 also saw Hay’at Tahrir al Sham carrying out detentions of civilians, including activists and workers with civil society groups; most of these arrests occurred due to the detainees expressing opinions critical of the HTS’s management of areas under its control, or on other charges such as colluding with Syrian Democratic Forces. These detentions were carried out arbitrarily in the form of raids in which HTS members stormed their victims’ homes, often breaking down the doors, or by kidnapping their victims while they were traveling or passing through temporary checkpoints, or through issuing summons for interrogation by the Ministry of Justice of the HTS’ Salvation Government. The report also records cases of detentions at HTS checkpoints on charges of breaking the fast during the month of Ramadan.
All Armed Opposition factions/ Syrian National Army also carried out arbitrary detentions and kidnappings in 2021, most of which were carried out on a mass scale, targeting those coming from areas under the control of the Syrian regime. In addition, in December and throughout 2021, the report records detentions carried out under an ethnic pretext, with these incidents being concentrated in areas under all Armed Opposition factions/ Syrian National Army’s control in Aleppo governorate. Most of these arrests occurred without judicial authorization and without the participation of the police force, which is the legitimate administrative authority responsible for arrests and detentions through the judiciary, as well as being carried out without presenting any clear charges against those being detained.
In December, the report records Syrian regime forces carrying out arrests targeting university students while they were travelling from their homes in Damascus suburbs to Damascus University in Damascus city, in addition to arrests targeting many civilian members of one family from Suwayda governorate, as well as recording random arrests of citizens in Damascus Suburbs governorate, with most of these occurring during campaigns of mass raids and arrests.
In terms of releases from prisons and detention centers in December, the report documents the release of at least 41 detainees held by the Syrian regime, all from Daraa governorate, including three children and six military personnel, who were released from regime detention centers. The release was the result of a reconciliation process carried out by the Syrian regime in Daraa governorate. The report also records the release of 11 detainees held by the Syrian regime, most of them from Damascus Suburbs governorate, who were released from regime detention centers, after the end of their arbitrarily imposed sentences, with their release not being linked to the Amnesty Decree No. 13 of 2021.
As the report reveals, all Armed Opposition factions/ Syrian National Army carried out raids and detentions, targeting civilians on charges of collaborating with Syrian Democratic Forces. These arrests were concentrated in some villages of Afrin city in the suburbs of Aleppo governorate.
The report documents at least 2,218 cases of arbitrary arrest/ detention in 2021, including 85 children and 77 women, 1,752 of whom have subsequently been categorized as cases of enforced disappearance, all at the hands of the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces in Syria, with 1,032 of these, including 19 children and 23 women, carried out by Syrian regime forces. It also documents 645 cases of arbitrary arrest/ detention at the hands of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, including 59 children and seven women. The report also documents 420 cases of arbitrary arrest/ detention, including six children and 47 women, at the hands of all Armed Opposition factions/ Syrian National Army, in addition to 121 cases of arbitrary arrest/ detention, including one child, at the hands of Hay’at Tahrir al Sham.
The report also shows the distribution of cases of arbitrary arrest in 2021 by Syrian governorate, with Aleppo seeing the largest number of arbitrary arrests documented during this period, followed by the governorates of Deir Ez-Zour, Damascus suburbs, then Hasaka.
The report documents at least 242 cases of arbitrary arrest/ detention in December 2021, including four children and four women, with 198 of these cases subsequently categorized as cases of enforced disappearance, all at the hands of the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces in Syria; 143 of these, including three women, were carried out at the hands of Syrian regime forces, while Syrian Democratic Forces detained 47 individuals, including four children and one woman. The report also notes that all Armed Opposition factions/ Syrian National Army detained 41 civilians, while Hay’at Tahrir al Sham detained 11 civilians.
The report also shows the distribution of cases of arbitrary arrests in December across the governorates, with Aleppo seeing the largest number of arrests documented during this period, followed by the governorates of Damascus suburbs, Damascus, Hasaka then Deir Ez-Zour.
As the report reveals, the vast majority of detainees involved in the popular uprising for democracy in Syria, including political and human rights activists, media workers, and relief activists, and similar prisoners of conscience, have been accused by the security branches of several charges based on testimonies taken from detainees by the regime under coercion, intimidation and torture, which are documented within regime security authorities’ reports, with these security reports being referred to the Public Prosecution Service, after which the majority of these cases are referred to either the Counter-Terrorism Court or the Military Field Court; the lowest conditions of fair courts do not meet in these courts, which are also closer to a military-security branch.
The report notes that the issue of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons is one of the most crucial human rights issues in Syria which there has been no progress in resolving despite its inclusion in several UN Security Council resolutions, as well as in UN General Assembly resolutions, in Kofi Annan’s plan, and finally in the statement of cessation of hostilities issued in February 2016, and in Security Council resolution 2254 of December 2015.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has not fulfilled any of its obligations in any of the international treaties and conventions it has ratified, most particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has also violated several articles of the Syrian Constitution itself, with thousands of detainees detained without any arrest warrant for many years, without charges, and prevented from appointing a lawyer and from receiving family visits. 68 percent of all detentions documented have subsequently been categorized as enforced disappearance cases.
The report notes that the other parties (Syrian Democratic Forces, Hay’at Tahrir al Sham and all Armed Opposition factions/ Syrian National Army) are also all obliged to implement the provisions of international human rights law, and that they have committed widespread violations through arrests and enforced disappearances.
The report calls on the Security Council to follow through in the implementation of Resolution 2042, Resolution 2043, and Resolution 2139.
The report stresses that the UN and the guarantor parties at Astana should form an impartial special committee to monitor cases of arbitrary arrest, and reveal the fate of the 102,000 missing persons in Syria, 85 percent of whom are detained by the Syrian regime. The report adds that pressure should be applied on all parties to immediately reveal their detention records in accordance with a timetable, and to immediately make detainees’ whereabouts public, and allow humanitarian organizations and the International Committee of Red Cross to have direct access to them.
Lastly, the report emphasizes that children and women should be released, and families and friends of detainees or wanted individuals should not be detained as prisoners of war, with the report also providing additional recommendations.
Press release:
(Link below to download full report)
Paris – The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) announced in its report released today that it documented at least 143 cases of arbitrary arrest/ detention in Syria in March 2021, including two children and nine women, noting that Syrian regime forces entrench the denial of freedom of expression policy and persecute those criticizing deteriorating living conditions in regime-controlled areas.
The 40-page report explains that most of the arrests in Syria are carried out without any judicial warrant while the victims are passing through checkpoints or during raids, with the security forces of the regime’s four main intelligence services often responsible for extra-judicial detentions. The detainee is tortured from the very first moment of his or her arrest and denied any opportunity to contact his or her family or to have access to a lawyer. The authorities also flatly deny the arbitrary arrests they have carried out and most of the detainees are subsequently categorized as forcibly disappeared.
This report outlines the record of arbitrary arrests/ detention it recorded in March 2021 by the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces in Syria, as well as shedding light on the most notable individual cases and incidents of arbitrary arrest and detention that the SNHR’s team documented during the same period, in addition to categorizing cases and incidents of arrest according to the location of the incident. The report does not include those kidnappings and abductions in which the report was unable to identify the responsible party.
The report also documents arbitrary arrests that were subsequently categorized as enforced disappearances. A number of criteria must be met before SNHR will classify a case as an enforced disappearance: the individual must have been detained for at least 20 days without his or her family being able to obtain any information from the relevant authorities about their status or location, with those responsible for the disappearance denying any knowledge of the individual’s arrest or whereabouts.
The report notes that Syrian regime forces continued in March to persecute Syrian citizens in connection with their political dissent and expression of opinions, despite the right to both being guaranteed by the constitution and international law; amongst those subjected to persecution and arbitrary arrest were a number of individuals who had concluded settlements of their security status with the Syrian regime in areas that had previously concluded settlement agreements with the regime; these arrests have been concentrated in Damascus Suburbs and Daraa governorates, with most occurring during campaigns of mass raids and arrests and at checkpoints. The report also records arrests carried out by the Criminal Security Branch targeting pro-Syrian regime media workers, government employees and civilians against the background of their criticism of the difficult living conditions in the areas controlled by the regime. The report further records arrests that took place in the context of participation in activities commemorating the popular uprising for democracy in Syria, which were concentrated in Homs governorate, as well as arrests of individuals for making phone calls to areas outside the Syrian regime’s control, and against persons in connection with their movement between and travel to areas outside the control of the Syrian regime
In the context of cases in which individuals have been released, the report records the Syrian regime’s release of nearly 45 detainees, including one woman and one child, as well as military conscripts – all from Daraa governorate – from regime detention centers in Damascus governorate, as part of a special presidential pardon in the context of reconciliation agreements made by the Syrian regime in Daraa governorate. The report notes that those released had spent an average period of one to two years in the Syrian regime’s detention centers, in extremely poor detention conditions in terms of torture practices inflicted on them, an almost complete lack of health and medical care, and severe overcrowding in detention centers, while they were arrested without receiving any explanation of the reasons for their detention and without any arrest warrant being provided.
As the report reveals, Syrian Democratic Forces continued enforcing the group’s policies of arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance in March, with the number increasing this month. Syrian Democratic Forces targeted teachers with arrest in connection with their teaching educational curricula other than those imposed by SDF or against the background of forced conscription. Syrian Democratic Forces also carried out campaigns of mass raids and arrests, targeting many civilians on the pretext of fighting ISIS cells. Syrian Democratic Forces also carried out arrests/ detentions and assaults on medical personnel and facilities; these arrests were concentrated in Deir Ez-Zour governorate, as well as carrying out arrests of children for the purpose of conscription.
As for Hay’at Tahrir al Sham, the report stresses that March also saw Hay’at Tahrir al Sham detaining civilians, with these arrests, which were concentrated in Idlib governorate, including media activists and politicians; most of these arrests occurred due to the detainees expressing opinions critical of the HTS’s management of areas under its control. These detentions were carried out arbitrarily in the form of raids in which HTS members stormed their victims’ homes, often breaking down the doors, or by kidnapping their victims while they were traveling or passing through temporary checkpoints.
The Armed Opposition/ Syrian National Army also continued carrying out arbitrary detentions and kidnappings in March, most of which were carried out on a mass scale, targeting women under the pretext that they were trying to cross the Turkish border illegally, before releasing them later. The Armed Opposition/ Syrian National Army also carried out mass detentions targeting those coming from areas under the control of the Syrian regime. In addition, the report records detentions carried out under an ethnic pretext, with these incidents being concentrated in areas under the Armed Opposition/ Syrian National Army’s control in Aleppo governorate. Most of these arrests occurred without judicial authorization and without the participation of the police force, which is the legitimate administrative authority responsible for arrests and detentions through the judiciary, as well as being carried out without presenting any clear charges against those being detained.
The report documents at least 143 cases of arbitrary arrest/ detention in March 2021, including two children and nine women (adult female), with 115 of these cases subsequently categorized as cases of enforced disappearance, all at the hands of the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces in Syria; 58 of these, including two women, were carried out at the hands of Syrian regime forces, 52 of whom have subsequently been categorized as cases of enforced disappearance. Meanwhile, Syrian Democratic Forces detained 52 individuals, including two children, with 50 of these cases subsequently categorized as cases of enforced disappearance.
The report also notes that the Armed Opposition/ Syrian National Army detained 26 individuals, including seven women, 10 of whom have subsequently been categorized as cases of enforced disappearance. In addition, Hay’at Tahrir al Sham detained seven individuals, four of whom have subsequently been categorized as cases of enforced disappearance.
The report also shows the distribution of cases of arbitrary arrests in March across the governorates, with Aleppo seeing the largest number of arrests documented during this period, followed by the governorates of Damascus Suburbs, then Deir Ez-Zour.
As the report reveals, the vast majority of detainees involved in the popular uprising for democracy in Syria, including political and human rights activists, media workers, and relief activists, and similar prisoners of conscience, have been accused by the security branches of several charges based on testimonies taken from detainees by the regime under coercion, intimidation and torture, which are documented within regime security authorities’ reports, with these security reports being referred to the Public Prosecution Service, after which the majority of these cases are referred to either the Counter-Terrorism Court or the Military Field Court; the lowest conditions of fair courts do not meet in these courts, which are also closer to a military-security branch.
The report further notes that detainees held by Syrian regime forces are subjected to exceptionally brutal and sadistic methods of torture, and subjected to unimaginably squalid, unsanitary and massively overcrowded conditions in its detention centers without even the bare minimum of hygiene or sanitation to protect against illness and disease. The report also notes that maintaining these brutal conditions is a very deliberate and widespread strategy on the part of the Syrian regime with the aim of further debasing and torturing detainees. Subjecting detainees to conditions that foster disease and infection and leaving them to suffer without medical help or treatment is another deliberate and conscious part of this policy, forcing already physically and emotionally traumatized detainees to endure an additional layer of torment and degradation often leading to death. The report warns of the increasing danger facing prisoners in regime detention centers with the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in light of the brutal detention conditions that are favorable for the spread of infectious diseases such as the COVID-19 coronavirus; this now threatens the lives of approximately 130,000 people who are still documented as being detained or forcibly disappeared by Syrian regime forces, including nearly 3,329 health care personnel, according to the SNHR database.
The report notes that the issue of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons is one of the most crucial human rights issues in Syria which there has been no progress in resolving despite its inclusion in several resolutions of the UN Security Council, as well as in the UN General Assembly resolutions, in Kofi Annan’s plan, and finally in the statement of cessation of hostilities issued in February 2016, and in Security Council resolution 2254 of December 2015, article 12, which states that all detainees, especially women and children, must be released immediately. Despite all these resolutions and other official statements, no progress has been made on the issue of securing the release of detainees in any of the rounds of negotiations sponsored by international parties regarding the conflict in Syria. The International Committee of the Red Cross has been unable to conduct any periodic visits to any of these detention centers, constituting a violation of International Humanitarian Law.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has not fulfilled any of its obligations in any of the international treaties and conventions it has ratified, most particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It has also violated several articles of the Syrian Constitution itself, with thousands of detainees detained without any arrest warrant for many years, without charges, and prevented from appointing a lawyer and from receiving family visits. 65 percent of all detentions documented have subsequently been categorized as enforced disappearance cases.
The report notes that the other parties (Syrian Democratic Forces, Hay’at Tahrir al Sham and the Armed Opposition/ Syrian National Army) are all obliged to implement the provisions of international human rights law, and that they have committed widespread violations through arrests and enforced disappearances.
The report calls on the Security Council to follow through in the implementation of Resolution 2042, adopted on April 14, 2012, Resolution 2043, adopted on April 21, 2012, and Resolution 2139, adopted on February 22, 2014, all of which demand the immediate cessation of the crime of enforced disappearance.
The report calls on the parties to the conflict and the controlling forces to immediately end arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, to reveal the fate of all arrested/ detained and forcibly disappeared persons, to allow their families to visit them, and to hand over the bodies of detainees who were killed as a result of torture to their families.
The report also calls on them to unconditionally release all detainees who have been imprisoned merely for exercising their political and civil rights and to publish a register containing the detainees’ data together with the reasons for their detention, the locations where they are held, and the sentences issued.
The report stresses that the UN and the guarantor parties at Astana should form an impartial special committee to monitor cases of arbitrary arrest, and reveal the fate of the 99,000 missing persons in Syria, approximately 85 percent of whom are detained by the Syrian regime. The report adds that pressure should be applied on all parties to immediately reveal their detention records in accordance with a timetable, and to immediately make detainees’ whereabouts public, and allow human rights groups and the International Committee of Red Cross to have direct access to them.
Lastly, the report emphasizes that children and women should be released, and families and friends of detainees or wanted individuals should not be taken as prisoners of war. The report calls on the official newly appointed to take charge of the detainees’ file at the UN special envoy’s office to include the issue of detainees at the upcoming rounds of Geneva talks, as this issue is of far greater importance to the Syrian people than other longer-term issues that can be jointly addressed later, such as the constitution, with the report providing additional recommendations.
By: Inked Pixels/Shutterstock.com
SNHR announced today that at least 976 individuals died due to torture in Syria in 2018, including 12 in December.
The latest SNHR report notes that international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. In many cases, torture is perpetrated on the basis of victims’ ethnicity or sect, particularly in the detention centers of Syrian regime, which has been, and continues to be the primary and main perpetrator of all crimes of torture.
According to the report, other parties have also committed crimes of torture, albeit to a far smaller extent than the Syrian regime, with SNHR’s team documenting a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and the Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw an increase since late 2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peace-making efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria, mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by the SNHR team, and on an extensive network of contacts with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, most of whom can only obtain information about their detained loved ones by bribing senior regime officials.
The report notes that the ability to confirm deaths remains completely subject to ongoing documentation and verification with cases of this nature remaining open in light of the serious difficulties encountered in the documentation process. The cases included in this report represent only a fraction of the actual total number of violations that are being perpetrated.
The report documents that 976 individuals died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria in 2018. Of this number, 951 died at the hands of Syrian Regime forces, including 11 children and two women. One woman died due to torture at the hands of ISIS, while nine other individuals, including one child, died due to torture at the hands of factions of the Armed Opposition. The report further documents the death of 10 individuals due to torture at the hands of Self-Management forces, while other parties were responsible for the death of five more individuals due to torture.
According to the report, the highest death toll due to torture in 2018 was recorded in Damascus Suburbs governorate, with 271 individuals. The remaining death toll is distributed across governorates as follows:
163 in Homs, 134 in Hasaka, 131 in Hama, 101 in Daraa, 47 in Damascus, 38 in Idlib, 29 in Dei Ez-Zour, 25 in Latakia, 24 in Aleppo, nine in Raqqa, and four in Suwayda.
The report also contains the death toll due to torture for December, which saw 12 cases of death due to torture documented, all of them in the official and unofficial detention centers of Syrian Regime forces, including three cases in Damascus, two in Homs, Hama, Dei Ez-Zour and Raqqa each and one in Damascus Suburbs.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of international human rights law, with these actions qualifying as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime has never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but has instead concealed and hidden criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions of the armed opposition) have perpetrated violations of the rules of international human rights law or international humanitarian law which constitute war crimes.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation into all cases of deaths inside detention centers, and to suspend all death sentences since the verdicts in all these cases are based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report states that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands action to end all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, with the report holding the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management forces to respect the standards of international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those involved in perpetrating these crimes accountable, as well as calling on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the group’s secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit detainees.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamist groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and to cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and to take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations into the incidents included in this report and previous reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide further evidence and data to assist in any such endeavors.
By: Shutterstock
SNHR said today that no fewer than 15 individuals died due to torture in Syria in November, 2018.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture.
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that confirming deaths remains completely subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties encountered in the process of documentation. The cases included in this report only represent a fraction of the actual total number of violations that are being perpetrated.
.
The report documents that 964 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria since the start of 2018. Of those, 939 died at the hands of Syrian regime forces. The report notes that 15 died due to torture in November, including 14 at the hands of Syrian regime forces, while Factions from the Armed Opposition were responsible for one death.
According to the report, the highest number of deaths due to torture in November was recorded in Damascus and Damascus Suburbs governorates, with three individuals killed under torture in each. The remaining death toll is distributed as follows:
Two in Daraa, two in Homs, two in Hama, one in Idlib, one in Latakia and one in Deir Ez-Zour.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed oppositoin) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they are based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
SNHR said today that no fewer than 16 individuals died due to torture in Syria in October.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture.
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that confirming deaths remains completely subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties encountered in the process of documentation. The cases included in this report only represent a fraction of the actual total number of violations that are being perpetrated.
The report documents that 949 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria since the start of 2018. Of those, 925 died at the hands of Syrian regime forces. The report notes that 16 died due to torture in October, including 14 at the hands of Syrian regime forces, while Kurdish Self-Management forces were responsible for two deaths.
According to the report, the highest number of deaths due to torture in October was recorded in Aleppo and Damascus governorates, with three individuals killed under torture in each.. The remaining death toll is distributed as follows:
Two in Hama, two in Deir Ez-Zour, two in Hasaka, one in Damascus, one in Daraa, one in Homs, and one in Idlib.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed oppositoin) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they are based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
By: Artsy Vibes
SNHR said today that no less than 41 individuals died due to torture in Syria in September.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture.
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that confirming deaths remains completely subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties we encounter in the process of documentation, what has been included in the report only represents the bare minimum of the actual violations that are being perpetrated.
According to the report, For the fourth month in a row, September saw the ongoing process of disclosing the fate of many forcibly-disappeared persons by the Syrian regime, as more families are learning of their beloved ones’ death through Syrian regime’s civil registration offices, whether when visiting those offices to acquire documents, or through lists publicized by those offices which contain the names of forcibly-disappeared persons who died due to torture without specifying the place and cause of death.
The report documents that 933 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria since the start of 2018, including 911 who died at the hands of Syrian Regime forces. The report adds that 41 individuals died due to torture at the hands of Syrian regime forces in September.
According to the report, Damascus suburbs and Daraa governorates recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in September with 11 deaths each.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed oppositoin) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they are based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
BY: toned B&W
SNHR said today that no less than 198 individuals died due to torture in Syria in August. Of those, 194 died at the hands of Syrian regime forces.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
August was the third month in a row in which new dead forcibly-disappeared persons, which were detained by the Syrian regime, came into light, as some families are still learning of the death of their beloved ones through Syrian regime’s civil registration offices when visiting those offices for some kind of civil paperwork, or through lists publicized by those offices that contained the names of forcibly-disappeared persons who died due to torture without specifying the cause and place of death. According to SNHR’s most recent report, 836 cases have been documented, including nine children and one woman.
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that confirming deaths remains completely subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties we encounter in the process of documentation, what has been included in the report only represents the bare minimum of the actual violations that are being perpetrated.
The report documents that 891 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria since the start of 2018, including 198 who died in August. Of those, 194 died at the hands of Syrian regime forces, while ISIS was responsible for the death of one woman. The report also records one individual who died at the hands of Self-Management forces and two by unidentified parties.
According to the report, Hasaka governorate recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in August with 106 individuals. The remaining death toll is distributed as follows:
37 in Damascus suburbs, 14 in Homs, 13 in Latakia, 7 in Damascus, 5 in Aleppo, 4 in Hama, 3 in Idlib, 3 in Deir Ez-Zour, 2 in Daraa, 2 in Raqqa, 2 in Suwayda.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed oppositoin) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they are based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
SNHR said today that no less than 547 individuals died due to torture in Syria in July 2018.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report records an unprecedented rise in number of deaths due to torture in July, for the second month in a row, as families are still finding out about their beloved ones’ death through the Syrian regime civil registry offices whether when they are doing paperwork or through lists containing names of forcibly-disappeared persons who died due to torture which were publicized by those offices even though the lists don’t reveal the cause or place of death. The report says that toll of victims who died due to torture at the hands of Syrian regime forces that was documented in July alone, 542 victims of torture, was greater than double the documented number of victims who died due to torture at the hands of the same forces in all of 2017. According to the report, the number of victims who died due to torture at the hands of Syrian regime forces alone between March 2011 and August 2018 is estimated now at 13,692 Syrian citizens.
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that confirming deaths remains completely subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties we encounter in the process of documentation, what has been included in the report only represents the bare minimum of the actual violations that are being perpetrated.
The report documents that 693 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria since the start of 2018, including 675 who died at the hands of Syrian regime forces. The report adds that 547 individuals died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in July. Of those, Syrian regime forces killed 542, including one child and one woman, who died inside Syrian regime detention centers. Four were killed at the hands of factions from the armed opposition while one individual died was killed at the hands of other parties.
According to the report, Homs governorate recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in July with 127 individuals. The remaining death toll is distributed as follows:
124 in Damascus suburbs, 81 in Damascus, 77 in Hama, 75 in Daraa, 26 in Idlib, 21 in Hasaka, six in Latakia, five in Aleppo, four in Deir Ez-Zour, and one in Suwayda.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed oppositoin) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they are based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
SNHR said today that no less than 146 individuals died due to torture in Syria in the first half of 2018, including 89 who were killed in June.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that confirming deaths remains completely subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties we encounter in the process of documentation, what has been included in the report only represents the bare minimum of the actual violations that are being perpetrated.
The report notes that June saw an unprecedented rise in toll of deaths due to torture, as a number of families who have forcibly-disappeared members were informed of their relatives’ death through the Syrian regime’s civil registration offices, whether when they visited those offices to finish paperwork or through lists which were publicized by the offices that contained names of forcibly-disappeared persons who died due to torture without specifying the cause and place of death. Most of the cases the report documents were concentrated in Hama governorate and Mua’damiyet al Sham in Damascus suburbs.
The report documents that 146 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria since the start of 2018. Of those, the Syrian regime was responsible for 133 deaths, including one child, while factions from the armed opposition were responsible for the death of four individuals, including one child. The report adds that seven individuals died due to torture at the hands of Kurdish Self-Management forces, while other parties were responsible for two deaths.
According to the report, Hama governorate recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in the first half of 2018 with 40 individuals. The remaining death toll was distributed as follows: 37 in Damascus suburbs, 14 in Homs, 14 in Deir Ez-Zour, 11 in Aleppo, 10 in Daraa, six in Idlib, four in Damascus, four in Latakia, three in Hasaka, two in Raqqa, and one in Suwayda.
The report also records that 89 individuals died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict in Syria in June. Of those, 84 were killed at the hands of Syrian regime forces, while three died at the hands of Kurdish Self-Management forces, and two at the hands of factions from the armed opposition.
According to the report, Damascus suburbs recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in June with 34 individuals. The remaining death toll was distributed as follows:
33 in Hama, five in Homs, four in Latakia, four in Deir Ez-Zour, three in Aleppo, three in Idlib, one in Hasaka, one in Daraa, and one in Damascus.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed oppositoin) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they are based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
SNHR said today that no less than 17 individuals died due to torture in Syria in May 2018.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that conclusively confirming deaths remains subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties in the process of documentation, what has been included in the report only represents the bare minimum of the actual violations that are being perpetrated.
The report documents that 57 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict since the start of 2018, including 49 at the hands of Syrian regime forces. The report adds that 17 individuals died due to torture in May. Syrian regime forces were responsible for 14 deaths. In addition, the report records that one individual had died due to torture at the hands of factions from the armed opposition. Also, the report documents that one individual died due to torture at the hands of Kurdish Self-Management forces, and one at the hands of other parties.
According to the report, Hama governorate recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in May with six deaths, while the remaining death toll was distributed as follows:
Four in Homs, three in Aleppo, two in Deir Ez-Zour, one in Daraa, and one in Hasaka.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed opposition) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law, which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they were based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands immediate action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and armed opposition factions to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
BY: REUTERS/RODI SAID
SNHR said today that no less than 14 individuals died due to torture in Syria in April 2018.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that conclusively confirming deaths remains subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties in the process of documentation, what has been included in the report only represents the bare minimum of the actual violations that are being perpetrated.
The report documents that 40 individuals have died due to torture at the hands of the parties to the conflict since the start of 2018, including 35 at the hands of Syrian regime forces. The report adds that 14 individuals died due to torture in April. Syrian regime forces were responsible for 11 deaths. In addition, the report records that one child had died due to torture at the hands of factions from the armed opposition. Also, the report documents that one individual died due to torture at the hands of Kurdish Self-Management forces, and one at the hands of other parties.
Daraa governorate recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in April with three deaths, while the remaining death toll was distributed as follows:
Two in Homs, two in Idlib, two in Deir Ez-Zour, one in al Suwayda, one in al Hasaqa, one in Raqqa, one in Aleppo, and one in Damascus.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed opposition) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law, which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to Launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they were based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands immediate action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.
BY: DAVID BARTON
SNHR said today that no less than 12 individuals died due to torture in Syria in March 2018.
The report notes that the international law completely prohibits torture and other forms of cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment. This being a customary rule, states can’t dismiss or undermine this rule in favor of other rights or values, even in times of emergency.
The report stresses that torture is being practiced in Syria in a systematic manner to extremely brutal and sadistic degrees. Also, torture is practiced on sectarian and ethnic basis in many cases – especially inside the detention centers of Syrian regime forces who has been, and still is, the primary and main perpetrator of the crimes of torture
According to the report, other parties have committed the crime of torture, even if to a lesser extent than the Syrian regime, as SNHR team has recorded a notable increase, since 2015, in rates of deaths due to torture at the hands of other parties – particularly at the hands of ISIS and Self-Management forces, while rates of death due to torture at the hands of armed opposition factions saw a rise in late-2016.
Fadel Abdul Ghany, chairman of SNHR, adds:
“The norm of ‘Responsibility to Protect’ must be implemented in light of the government’s failure to protect its people, and the fruitlessness of the diplomatic and peaceful efforts so far. Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being perpetrated every day in Syria and mainly at the hands of the organs of the state itself.”
The report draws upon ongoing monitoring of news and developments by SNHR team, and on an extensive network of relations with various sources, in addition to speaking with either former detainees, or victims’ families and friends, as most of those get information about their detained relatives by bribing officials in charge.
The report notes that conclusively confirming deaths remains subject to ongoing documentation and verification as cases of this nature remain open. In light of the serious difficulties in the process of documentation, what has been included in the report only represents the bare minimum of the actual violations that are being perpetrated.
The report documents that 12 individuals died due to torture in March. Syrian regime forces were responsible for all 12 deaths. Daraa governorate recorded the highest number of deaths due to torture in March with three deaths, while the remaining death toll was distributed as follows:
Two in Damascus, two in Damascus suburbs, two in Deir Ez-Zour, one in Aleppo, one in Hama, and one in Homs.
The report stresses that the Syrian regime has practiced torture through multiple institutions in a widespread manner which constitutes an explicit breach of the international human rights law and qualifies as crimes against humanity. Also, these crimes, which have been perpetrated after the start of the non-international armed conflict, constitute a blatant breach of the international human rights law and constitute war crimes. Furthermore, the report notes that the Syrian regime never launched any investigation, or held those who were involved accountable, but rather concealed and hid criminal evidences.
The report adds that other parties to the conflict (ISIS, Kurdish Self-Management forces, and factions from the armed opposition) have perpetrated violations of the rules of the international human rights law or the international humanitarian law, which constitutes a war crime.
The report calls on the Syrian regime to Launch an immediate investigation on all cases of death inside detention centers, and suspend all death sentences considering that they were based on confessions extracted under brutal torture. Also, the report says that the Commission of Inquiry, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all objective human rights groups should have immediate access to detention centers. In addition, the report demands immediate action to cease all forms of torture.
Additionally, the report calls for the release of arbitrarily arrested detainees, especially women and children, in addition to revealing the fates of tens of thousands forcibly-disappeared persons, as the report holds the Syrian regime responsible for deaths due to torture.
The report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to respect the standards of the international human rights law, cease the use of torture, and hold all those who were involved in this crime accountable. Also, the report calls on the Kurdish Self-Management to reveal all detainees and publicize lists of their names, make the locations and sites of the secret detention centers public, and allow families and human rights groups to visit them.
Moreover, the report calls on the extremist Islamic groups and factions from the armed opposition to ensure the implementation of the international human rights law in the areas and prisons under their control, and cease all forms of torture inside detention centers.
The report calls on the Security Council and the United Nations to apply pressure on the Syrian government in order to implement Security Council resolutions 2042, 2139, and 2254, and take action under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations in order to save detainees from dying inside detention centers.
The report calls on Russia to stop hindering the referral of the case in Syria to the International Criminal Court, stressing that states party to the Convention against Torture should take all necessary measure to establish their jurisdiction over the perpetrators of torture crimes, and impose serious sanctions against the Syrian regime.
Lastly, the report calls on the Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International, Impartial, and Independent Mechanism (IIIM) to launch investigations on the incidents included in this report and past reports. The report stresses that SNHR is willing to cooperate and provide more evidences and data.