{"id":688,"date":"2012-07-03T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-07-03T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","slug":"","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/?p=688","title":{"rendered":"Torture Centers Revealed, For 27 Detention Sites: Locations, Commanders\u2019 Names, Torture Methods"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>July 3, 2012 <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/multimedia.hrw.org\/features\/2012MENA_Syria_Torture\/maps\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Interactive  Map &#8211; Click to Launch<\/em><\/strong><\/a><br \/>\n  (New York) \u2013 Former  detainees and defectors have identified the locations, agencies responsible,  torture methods used, and, in many cases, the commanders in charge of 27  detention facilities run by Syrian intelligence agencies, Human Rights Watch  said in a multimedia&nbsp;report released today. The systematic patterns of  ill-treatment and torture that Human Rights Watch documented clearly point to a  state policy of torture and ill-treatment and therefore constitute a crime  against humanity.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The 81-page report, <a href=\"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/english\/news.php?id=689&#038;idC=7\" target=\"_blank\">&ldquo;Torture  Archipelago: Arbitrary Arrests, Torture and Enforced Disappearances in Syria&rsquo;s  Underground Prisons since March 2011&rdquo;<\/a> is based on more than 200 interviews  conducted by Human Rights Watch since the beginning of anti-government  demonstrations in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/middle-eastn-africa\/syria\">Syria<\/a> in March 2011. The report includes maps&nbsp;locating the detention  facilities,&nbsp;video&nbsp;accounts from former detainees, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/features\/syria-documented-torture-methods\">sketches<\/a> of torture techniques described by numerous people who witnessed or experienced  torture in these facilities.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>  &ldquo;The intelligence agencies are running an archipelago of torture centers  scattered across the country,&rdquo; said Ole Solvang, emergencies researcher at  Human Rights Watch. &ldquo;By publishing their locations, describing the torture  methods, and identifying those in charge we are putting those responsible on  notice that they will have to answer for these horrific crimes.&rdquo;<br \/>\n  <a name=\"satellite\" id=\"satellite\"><\/a><br \/>\n  Click to view in-depth, <strong>satellite images of the torture centers<\/strong> in the  following cities: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/images\/photographs\/2012_Torture_Damascus_EN.jpg\">Damascus<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/images\/photographs\/2012_Torture_Homs_EN.jpg\">Homs<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/images\/photographs\/2012_Torture_Idlib_EN.jpg\">Idlib<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/images\/photographs\/2012_Torture_Aleppo_EN.jpg\">Aleppo<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/images\/photographs\/2012_Torture_Daraa_EN.jpg\">Daraa<\/a>,  and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.hrw.org\/sites\/default\/files\/media\/images\/photographs\/2012_Torture_Latakia_EN.jpg\">Latakia<\/a> .<\/p>\n<p>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=5lr-dcHOtzo\">https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=5lr-dcHOtzo<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5lr-dcHOtzo\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Human Rights Watch called on the United Nations Security  Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court  (ICC) and to adopt targeted sanctions against officials credibly implicated in  the abuses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>  The facilities cited in the report are those for which multiple witnesses have  indicated the same location and provided detailed descriptions of torture. The  actual number of detention facilities used by intelligence agencies is probably  much higher.<\/p>\n<p>  Almost all the former detainees interviewed by Human Rights Watch said they had  been subjected to torture or witnessed the torture of others during their  detention. Interrogators, guards, and officers used a broad range of torture  methods, including prolonged beatings, often with objects such as batons and  cables, holding the detainees in painful stress positions for prolonged periods  of time, the use of electricity, burning with acid, sexual assault and  humiliation, the pulling of fingernails, and mock execution. Altogether Human  Rights Watch documented more than 20 distinct torture methods used by the  security and intelligence services.<\/p>\n<p>  In most cases former detainees were subjected to a range of these torture  methods. A 31-year-old detainee who was detained in Idlib governorate in June  described to Human Rights Watch how the intelligence agencies tortured him in  the Idlib Central Prison:<\/p>\n<p>They forced me to undress. Then they started squeezing my  fingers with pliers. They put staples in my fingers, chest and ears. I was only  allowed to take them out if I spoke. The staples in the ears were the most  painful. They used two wires hooked up to a car battery to give me electric  shocks. They used electric stun-guns on my genitals twice. I thought I would  never see my family again. They tortured me like this three times over three  days.<\/p>\n<p>While most of the torture victims interviewed by Human  Rights Watch were young men between 18 and 35, the victims interviewed also  included children, women, and the elderly.<\/p>\n<p>\n  Human Rights Watch research shows that the worst torture has  taken place in detention facilities run by the country&rsquo;s four main intelligence  agencies, commonly referred to collectively as the <em>mukhabarat<\/em>:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>The       Department of Military Intelligence (<em>Shu`bat al-Mukhabarat       al-`Askariyya<\/em>);<\/li>\n<li>The       Political Security Directorate (<em>Idarat al-Amn al-Siyasi<\/em>);<\/li>\n<li>The       General Intelligence Directorate (<em>Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-`Amma<\/em>);       and<\/li>\n<li>The       Air Force Intelligence Directorate (<em>Idarat al-Mukhabarat al-Jawiyya<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each of these four agencies maintains central branches in  Damascus as well as regional, city, and local branches across the country. In  virtually all of these branches there are detention facilities of varying size.<\/p>\n<p>\n  All of the witnesses interviewed by Human Rights Watch  described detention conditions that would by themselves amount to ill-treatment  and, in some cases, torture \u2013 extreme overcrowding, inadequate food, and  routine denial of necessary medical assistance. A graphic model depicting an  overcrowded cell described by one former detainee illustrates how the  conditions fall short of international legal standards.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Diagrams produced by SITU Studio and Forensic  Architecture, an ERC-funded project.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>  The individuals who carried out or ordered crimes against humanity bear  individual criminal responsibility under international law, as do those in a  position of command whose subordinates committed&nbsp; crimes that they were  aware of or should have been aware of and failed to prevent or punish. This  command responsibility would apply not only to the officials overseeing  detention facilities, but also to the heads of intelligence agencies, members  of government, and the head of state, President Bashar al-Assad.<\/p>\n<p>  Because Syria has not ratified the Rome Statute, which created the ICC, the  court will only have jurisdiction if the UN Security Council adopts a  resolution referring the situation in Syria to the court. Russia and China have  previously blocked Security Council efforts to push for  accountability.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>  &ldquo;The reach and inhumanity of this network of torture centers are truly  horrific,&rdquo; Solvang said. &ldquo;Russia should not be holding its protective hand over  the people who are responsible for this.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>  A table with the detention facilities where torture was documented, along with  their respective locations, operating agencies, and commanders follows.<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Agency<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Name of Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>City<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Head of Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 215<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. Sha&rsquo;afiq<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 227<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Maj. Gen. RustomGhazali<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 291<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. BurhanQadour (Replaced Brig. Gen. Yousef Abdou    in May 2012)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 235 (&ldquo;Palestine&rdquo;)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. Muhammad Khallouf<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 248<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 245<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Daraa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Col. Loaial-Ali<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Aleppo Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Aleppo<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 271<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Idlib<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. Nawfel al-Hussein<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Homs Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Homs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Muhammad Zamreni<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Military Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Latakia Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Latakia<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Air Force Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Mezzeh Airport Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. Abdul Salam Fajr Mahmoud (director of    investigative branch)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Air Force Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Bab Touma Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Air Force Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Homs Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Homs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. Jawdat al-Ahmed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Air Force Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Daraa branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Daraa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Col. QusayMihoub<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Air Force Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Latakia Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Latakia<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Col. Suhail Al-Abdullah<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Political Security<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Mezzeh Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Political Security<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Idlib Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Idlib<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Political Security<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Homs Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Homs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Political Security<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Latakia Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Latakia<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Political Security<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Daraa Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Daraa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>General Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Latakia Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Latakia<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. KhudrKhudr<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>General Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 285<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Ma&rsquo;ala (Replaced Brig. Gen. HussamFendi    in late 2011)<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>General Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Al-Khattib Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Damascus<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>General Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Aleppo Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Aleppo<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>General Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Branch 318<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Homs<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Brig. Gen. Firas Al-Hamed<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>General Intelligence<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Idlib Branch<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Idlib<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Joint<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"148\">\n<p>Central Prison &#8211; Idlib<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"90\">\n<p>Idlib<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"205\">\n<p>Not identified<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Human Rights Watch, July 3, 2012 <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/multimedia.hrw.org\/features\/2012MENA_Syria_Torture\/maps\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong><em>Interactive  Map &#8211; Click to Launch<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0(New  York) \u2013 Former detainees and defectors have identified the locations, agencies  responsible, torture methods used, and, in many cases, the commanders in charge  of 27 detention facilities run by Syrian intelligence agencies, Human Rights  Watch said in a multimedia&nbsp;report released today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/688\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dchrs.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}