Statistics.Many allegations have been put forward concerning deaths in Syrian detainment centers by several different human rights organizations. Most of these reports and allegations focus specifically on Saydnaya prison, which is run entirely by the Syrian government.
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According to Amnesty International, deaths in Saydnaya are caused by:
Mass Hangings
Amnesty International estimates that, from 2011 to 2015, more than 13,000 prisoners have been hanged in secrecy. Reportedly, twice a week, 20 to 30 prisoners are taken from their cells and brought for hangings. Right before they are executed, the prisoners are brought for what is called a "trial" by the guards, but is really a 2 to 3 minute procedure where their name is logged into a death registry. The prisoners are not aware that they are being brought for hanging, since the selected prisoners are told that they are being brought to a civilian prison. Many of the prisoners believe that civilian prisons are much less harsh than Saydnaya, so they are more likely to go along willingly. Instead, they are brought to a cell in a basement and are beaten by the prison guards before being brought to their "trial". Since the number of deaths by hanging is so large, it doesn't seem possible that the Syrian government would be unaware of the executions, and not authorizing them.
Torture
Several former detainees interviewed by Amnesty International have come forward with horrifying reports of torture. Some have described being hit with items such as wooden sticks and silicone bars. These beatings are punishments for very simple crimes such as talking to other inmates or not cleaning cells properly. Worse forms of punishment include being burnt or scalded with cigarettes and hot water, as well as being given electric shocks. Former prisoners have also said they were threatened with rape. Because of their constant beatings, many prisoners get injuries, which, because of the lack of medical care in Saydnaya prison, can often be fatal.
Prison Conditions
In some cases, former Saydnaya inmates have stated in their interviews that they were kept in 3x3m cells with as many as fifty people, and that some cells were so overcrowded that they had to take turns to sit and rest. The prisoners are also not given enough food, and have said that they needed to eat eggshells and expired food in order to stay alive. With such a large number of prisoners packed together in small cells and not receiving sufficient nutrition, disease spreads quickly throughout the prison. Most of the time the diseases are curable, but the inmates of Saydnaya aren't given proper medical care, and prisoners have died as a result of this.
View the full Amnesty International report here.
Amnesty International isn't the only organization to have reported on the issue. Accusations have also been put forward by parties such as:
The United NationsOn the 3rd of February, 2016, the United Nations Human Rights council released a paper based on 621 interviews, which accused the Syrian government of "extermination, murder, rape or other forms of sexual violence, torture, imprisonment, enforced disappearance and other inhuman acts". The paper examines in detail the suspicious killing of detainees in Syrian government-run prisons, and calls upon the Syrian government to take accountability for the deaths. Read the full United Nations report here.
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The U.S. GovernmentAround May 15th, 2017, the U.S. State Department accused the Syrian government of building a crematorium to dispose of the large numbers of bodies that resulted from supposed regular mass hangings at their prisons. Stuart Jones, acting assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, said that the crematorium "could dispose of prison detainees’ remains with little evidence". The U.S. government has evidence in the form of an aerial photograph of what is believed to be the crematorium.
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