Dozens of detainees killed, fate of thousands still unknown in transitional government prisons

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported documenting the killing of 58 detainees in the prisons of the transitional government in Syria, while 8,000 other detainees remain in prisons in Hama, Homs, Adra, Harem, Afrin, and al-Rai for more than nine months. This coincides with the transitional government's neglect of the detainee issue, its near-total silence, and the absence of accountability mechanisms. These practices are similar to those of the former regime.

The Observatory noted that these detainees were arrested without any clear crime, without formal charges being brought or brought before a court, in a situation that reflects a blatant state of arbitrary detention that contravenes the most basic standards of justice.

The Observatory confirmed in its report that detainees face harsh conditions, ranging from physical and psychological ill-treatment to the denial of their most basic rights to food. They are provided with meager food that is insufficient to sustain them for one day, and sometimes a single meal is distributed to cover two full days.

The Observatory noted that detainees are subjected to systematic extortion and financial gain, with significant pressure being exerted on their families to force them to pay sums of money in exchange for improved detention conditions, access to food, or even their release.

The report noted growing concerns about killings under torture in prisons, as well as the widespread issue of missing persons since the fall of the former regime. The list includes officers and soldiers who surrendered without a fight, citizens arrested at security checkpoints, and those who were returned from Iraq those who did not engage in combat with the transitional government forces.

These measures come amidst a deafening international, regional, and UN silence, and the lack of any action by human rights organizations to resolve this humanitarian dilemma. Furthermore, the number of detainees from various Syrian communities, including those who oppose this government, continues to increase, precisely as the former regime did.

ANHA