Assad Regime Uses Torture Method In More Than 50 Prisons

Bashar al-Assad/PHOTO kremlin.ru via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - During the government of the Bashar al-Assad regime that fell in Syria, thousands of people were tortured in dozens of detention centers, including outside Sednaya prisons.

Since the uprising began in March 2011, the declining Assad regime has reportedly tortured and killed thousands of people. However, it is estimated that the unrecorded number of victims reached tens of thousands.

According to ANTARA from Anadolu, Wednesday, December 11, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR/Syria Network for Human Rights), regime forces detained at least 1.2 million Syrian citizens during civil war and tortured them with various methods.

Although the regime announced more than 20 amnesty decisions during the war, international rights organizations stated that the regime continues to detain Syrian citizens.

Various reports from international organizations emphasize that many prisoners have died as a result of torture.

Turkish News Agency Anadolu gathered details about centers of torture and methods used under the 61-year-old Baath regime.

According to SNHR's exclusive report on Anadolu, regime torture centers are grouped into civilian prisons, military prisons, unofficial secret detention centers, and security unit interrogation centers.

There are more than 50 such centers spread across almost all provinces in Syria.

Prisons Under The Ministry Of Home Affairs

In the groups-held cities that toppled the Babath regime, their first action was to release prisoners. Most of them are members of the opposition.

Prisoners were released from large prisons, including Aleppo Central Prison, Hama Central Prison, Adra Central Prison in Damascus, Homs Central Prison, and Suwayda Central Prison.

However, prisoners in central prisons Tartus and Latakia are still waiting for release.

Tens of thousands of people have been tortured for years in military prisons under the Defense Ministry of the Basharal-Assaditu regime.

Among the prisons, Sednaya, Mezzeh, and Qaboun in Damascus, as well as Al-Balloon and Tadmur in Homs stands out as the epicenter of severe torture.

Many prisoners imprisoned there were never heard of again.

After armed groups toppled the regime, prisoners in Mezzeh and Qaboun were also released.

Mezzeh Prison, located in the military airport of the Mezzeh District in Damascus, is managed by military intelligence units under the Ministry of Defense.

The detention center is confidential and unofficial

There are also centers where the regime holds its political opponents, but these centers are practically confidential.

According to SNHR and other rights organizations, the purpose of establishing this secret detention center is to carry out more severe torture.

Those who ended up in this torture prison barely had a chance to survive.

These facilities operate under the Fourth Division, led by Assad's brother, Maher Assad.

In early 2012, the regime also turned homes, villas and stadiums into detention centers. One of the facilities is Kamp Deir Shmeil in northwestern Hama.

Security units related to the regime also play an active role in operating an interrogation and detention center.

Security services consist of four main intelligence services: Military Intelligence Services (known as "military security"), Political Security Services, the Directorate of General Intelligence (known as "state security"), and the Directorate of Air Intelligence.

Military Intelligence services, with the country's largest network, have at least 20 branches.

Political Security Services have branches in most provinces, while the Directorate of General Intelligence operates six major offices in Damascus.

The Directorate of Air Intelligence ranks second in terms of detention after the Military Intelligence Service.

With branches in almost every province, this directorate is very active in areas that have military airports.

These units are placed under the Syrian National Security Bureau which was formed in 2012.

Military Intelligence Services, under the Ministry of Defense, serve as the main agency responsible for detention.

Those detained in these branches are usually moved to the main center in Damascus after several days, where they could be detained for years.

Across the country, security units operate more than 45 branches of detention, with 18 of them located in Damascus.

The regime uses 72 different methods of torture

According to the SNHR report, the Babath regime used 72 methods of torture involving physical, psychological, and sexual violence.

The regime also forced prisoners to work forced labor and undergo isolation, violating basic human rights.

Sednaya Prison, where tens of thousands of people are believed to be detained, has the worst reputation of all.

After protests in March 2011, Sednaya became the center of torture, detaining tens of thousands of political prisoners.

After the 61-year collapse of the ruling Baath regime on December 8, attention turned to the fate of detainees in Sednaya.

Some detainees reportedly appeared on security cameras but could not be found in accessible areas, raising the possibility that they might be in a secret compartment underground.

While the team continued to dig tunnels and knock down walls, Syrians who had not heard news from their loved ones for years flocked to prison, looking for traces of their families.