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Syrian refugees describe gruesome torture

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The worn bars of a prison cell. A prisoner who has spent four years in Syrian jails, has described torture and appalling living conditions worthy of George Orwell's dystopian vision in his novel "1984". (AFP Photo/Timothy A. Clary)
By Neil Sammonds

Gathering this latest batch of abuse testimony – from Syrian refugees across the border in Jordan – was a gruelling process. But, in the main, the survivors of this terrible abuse wanted to tell their stories.

The testimony included “Karim” (not his real name), an 18-year-old student from al-Taybeh in Deraa, saying how his tormentors used metal pincers to gouge chunks of flesh out of his legs, and “Ghazi”, a 22-year-old decorator, describing the “flying carpet” treatment by Military Intelligence officials in Damascus: “I was on a wooden board like a table, face up, in underpants and blindfolded. I don’t know how the ends are raised but some mechanism makes it go up. I suffered terrible pain on my lower back as the body is forced into a V-shape. And I was beaten at the same time. Three men took it in turns with the kurbaj (whip). When they rested they drink tea, smoke a cigarette until it’s their turn again.”

In case after case the horrific torment suffered by the former detainees was the same, only the techniques varied. Being stabbed or cut; various kinds of electric shocks (including in electric chairs); male rape; excruciating stress positions; cigarettes being stubbed out on the body; being forced to watch family members tortured. And on and on. Patterns emerge. Many former detainees described being beaten during arrest and during transfer to a detention centre and, in particular, severe beatings on arrival (referred to as the haflet al-istiqbal or “reception” beatings). In one case a man was shown a photograph of Bashar al-Assad in the torture room and told “he is your God” before another hour of being thrashed by metal cables.

What can be done? It’s deeply disappointing that some of the world’s great powers are still shielding the Assad regime and this must change. There is growing evidence of crimes against humanity in Syria and the situation should be referred to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

And the UN Human Rights Council should extend the mandate of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria, reinforcing its capacity to monitor, document and report. We need to see prosecutions of those responsible for this sickening wave of torture.

It’s not yet clear what is going to change this lethal situation but no one who reads our report can be in any doubt that the Assad regime has indulged in an orgy of torture and terror.

Neil Sammonds is Amnesty International’s Syria researcher

The Independent

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8 responses to “Syrian refugees describe gruesome torture”

  1. Liz Johnk Avatar
    Liz Johnk

    So very, very depressing. I so hope for justice.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Yes, depressing, the human animal at it’s worst. The only ‘justice’ would be to be as barbaric as the torturers if you could get your hands on them, yet I doubt even most of the victims could stomach returning the favours.
      It is a particular form of sadism – Vlad the Impaler comes to mind as a ‘prosecutor’ if you get to that point.
      In all history, Mankind’s inventiveness at causing anguish to another human soul has been spectacular. Yet in every society, there are a relative few who enjoy doing it so well. They are ’employed’ by the ones who also could not do it themselves, yet are happy to have these bent minds under their control so they can distribute the fear needed to keep a population in check and doing their bidding.
      Despots like Assad easily can say ‘I did not do that. I had no hand in it.’ Yet they somehow will justify in their minds a ‘gang’ like the Shabbiha as necessary to keep working in their dungeons … and in their employ … one of those ugly but necessary evils of being the one ‘god’ everyone is expected to serve.
      Rewards fall from the one god on top, to lesser little gods in different departments who are allowed to run things as they see fit. And the sadists know who to cosy up to for their pleasures. In some places, they can live well.
      And of course, when these events are discussed, there will be the usual gang of idiots saying ‘What about Guantanamo?’ … and similar diatribes. To which we can only show a variance of degree in applying the anguish to the imprisoned human. While we may all agree that some minds should no longer be allowed to walk among us, there is a huge variance in places of incarceration and treatment of the prisoner.
      Yet we are not talking here about the imprisonment of ‘bad actors’ – except for the fact of their lineage, and that they have dared to request more from the the god than is their due. And the tortures are visited on both young and old, male and female, for no other reason than that they were born in Assad’s Country – and dared to lift a voice.
      ‘Bashar is your God’. I have heard that before. I have recorded in a text to me ‘Bashar is your boss.’ Same idea.
      It’s not too hard to imagine my fate if the bastards ever got their hands on me … OR YOU.

      Amnesty International and the United Nations raise a voice for you. Listen.

  2. Liz Johnk Avatar
    Liz Johnk

    So very, very depressing. I so hope for justice.

  3. Liz Johnk Avatar
    Liz Johnk

    So very, very depressing. I so hope for justice.

    1. 5thDrawer Avatar
      5thDrawer

      Yes, depressing, the human animal at it’s worst. The only ‘justice’ would be to be as barbaric as the torturers if you could get your hands on them, yet I doubt even most of the victims could stomach returning the favours.
      It is a particular form of sadism – Vlad the Impaler comes to mind as a ‘prosecutor’ if you get to that point.
      In all history, Mankind’s inventiveness at causing anguish to another human soul has been spectacular. Yet in every society, there are a relative few who enjoy doing it so well. They are ’employed’ by the ones who also could not do it themselves, yet are happy to have these bent minds under their control so they can distribute the fear needed to keep a population in check and doing their bidding.
      Despots like Assad easily can say ‘I did not do that. I had no hand in it.’ Yet they somehow will justify in their minds a ‘gang’ like the Shabbiha as necessary to keep working in their dungeons … and in their employ … one of those ugly but necessary evils of being the one ‘god’ everyone is expected to serve.
      Rewards fall from the one god on top, to lesser little gods in different departments who are allowed to run things as they see fit. And the sadists know who to cosy up to for their pleasures. In some places, they can live well.
      And of course, when these events are discussed, there will be the usual gang of idiots saying ‘What about Guantanamo?’ … and similar diatribes. To which we can only show a variance of degree in applying the anguish to the imprisoned human. While we may all agree that some minds should no longer be allowed to walk among us, there is a huge variance in places of incarceration and treatment of the prisoner.
      Yet we are not talking here about the imprisonment of ‘bad actors’ – except for the fact of their lineage, and that they have dared to request more the the god than is their due. And the tortures are visited on both young and old, male and female, for no other reason than that they were born in Assad’s Country – and dared to lift a voice.
      ‘Bashar is your God’. I have heard that before. I have recorded in a text to me ‘Bashar is your boss.’ Same idea.
      It’s not too hard to imagine my fate if the bastards ever got their hands on me … OR YOU.

      Amnesty International and the United Nations raise a voice for you. Listen.

  4. williamgel Avatar
    williamgel

    How can the world remain so damn silent and inactive in light of these grave war crimes? It seems the UN only reacts to the smaller, more easy incidents with tribunals and investigations, but when faced with real crimes on a grand scale, they freeze like a small animal in the highlights of a car. During the Nazi crimes of WWII, Rwanda Genocide, atrocities across Tibet and Zimbabwe, and genocide in Darfur….the world is largely silent.

    I’m beginning to believe the world is not divided among ethnicities and/or religion, but along the lines of heartless and greedy, and humane and modest. It looks like an “Arab Spring” is required all the way up to the High Council of the UN!

  5. williamgel Avatar
    williamgel

    How can the world remain so damn silent and inactive in light of these grave war crimes? It seems the UN only reacts to the smaller, more easy incidents with tribunals and investigations, but when faced with real crimes on a grand scale, they freeze like a small animal in the highlights of a car. During the Nazi crimes of WWII, Rwanda Genocide, atrocities across Tibet and Zimbabwe, and genocide in Darfur….the world is largely silent.

    I’m beginning to believe the world is not divided among ethnicities and/or religion, but along the lines of heartless and greedy, and humane and modest. It looks like an “Arab Spring” is required all the way up to the High Council of the UN!

  6. williamgel Avatar
    williamgel

    How can the world remain so damn silent and inactive in light of these grave war crimes? It seems the UN only reacts to the smaller, more easy incidents with tribunals and investigations, but when faced with real crimes on a grand scale, they freeze like a small animal in the highlights of a car. During the Nazi crimes of WWII, Rwanda Genocide, atrocities across Tibet and Zimbabwe, and genocide in Darfur….the world is largely silent.

    I’m beginning to believe the world is not divided among ethnicities and/or religion, but along the lines of heartless and greedy, and humane and modest. It looks like an “Arab Spring” is required all the way up to the High Council of the UN!

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