Brutal torture leads to death of 67 in Syria
67 people died under torture in Syria in November alone, reports Syrian monitoring group, in what it says is proof of the regime's 'systematic torture policy'.
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Hundreds of photographs were earlier smuggled from Syria documenting atrocities committed by Assad's Regime [Anadolu]
No fewer than 67 people have been tortured to death inside regime and rebel detention facilities in November, said the UK-based monitoring group the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) on Wednesday.
Of these, the majority - 62 - died at the hands of Syrian regime forces, the SNHR's report said.
One died of torture in the custody of al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria the Nusra Front, and another while behing held by Kurdish factions in northern Syria.
Two deaths occured in the custody of other rebel groups in Novemeber, always according to the SNHR, which could not determine who was responsible for the remaining fatality.
Interestingly, most of the victims came from the Daraa governorate in southern Syria, according to the report. The rest came from other parts of the country, including Hama, Idlib, Homs, and Aleppo.
Among the victims were four university students, a doctor, a teacher, a senior citizen and a minor.
"This high number of victims dying from torture monthly reflects a systematic and widescale policy implemented by the regime, amounting to a crime against humanity and a war crime," SNHR President Fadel Abdul-Ghani told al-Araby al-Jadeed.
"The Syrian authorities do not aknowledge torture let alone deaths under torture," Abdul-Ghani added.
The SNHR explained most of the information comes from former detainees or families of the victims.
The families of detainees usually obtain information about their relatives by bribing government officials.
In many cases, the Syrian authorities do not hand over the bodies of the victims to their families.
Some families, according to the SNHR president, are afraid to go retrieve the bodies or their effects from military morgues, fearing arrest.
In July, the SNHR said the number of Syrians tortured to death since the outbreak of the March 2011 uprising had reached 11,429.
Of these, the majority - 62 - died at the hands of Syrian regime forces, the SNHR's report said.
One died of torture in the custody of al-Qaeda's affiliate in Syria the Nusra Front, and another while behing held by Kurdish factions in northern Syria.
Two deaths occured in the custody of other rebel groups in Novemeber, always according to the SNHR, which could not determine who was responsible for the remaining fatality.
Interestingly, most of the victims came from the Daraa governorate in southern Syria, according to the report. The rest came from other parts of the country, including Hama, Idlib, Homs, and Aleppo.
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| Read more:Cesar: Routine becomes nightmare in Syria torture cells |
Among the victims were four university students, a doctor, a teacher, a senior citizen and a minor.
"This high number of victims dying from torture monthly reflects a systematic and widescale policy implemented by the regime, amounting to a crime against humanity and a war crime," SNHR President Fadel Abdul-Ghani told al-Araby al-Jadeed.
"The Syrian authorities do not aknowledge torture let alone deaths under torture," Abdul-Ghani added.
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The SNHR explained most of the information comes from former detainees or families of the victims.
The families of detainees usually obtain information about their relatives by bribing government officials.
In many cases, the Syrian authorities do not hand over the bodies of the victims to their families.
Some families, according to the SNHR president, are afraid to go retrieve the bodies or their effects from military morgues, fearing arrest.
In July, the SNHR said the number of Syrians tortured to death since the outbreak of the March 2011 uprising had reached 11,429.
The overwhelming majority of the victims had suffered at the hands of forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, SNHR noted.
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| The Assad regime is responsible for the vast majority of civilian casualties in Syria [Click to enlarge] |
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