Syria: Rights probe reveals systematic torture and detention of Assad regime 2025-01-27 12:00
A United Nations investigation has found that the Assad regime in Syria has been carrying out systematic torture and arbitrary detention for years, resulting in “unspeakable suffering” for thousands of victims.
The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, created in 2011 to investigate human rights violations in the country, released a report on Wednesday detailing the regime’s widespread use of torture and ill-treatment against detainees.
The report found that torture includes beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence and the use of stress positions. It also provides extensive documentation of the arbitrary arrest and detention of civilians, including human rights defenders, journalists, political activists, and those perceived to be opposed to the regime.
“The commission’s findings are deeply disturbing and point to a systematic and widespread practice of torture and arbitrary detention by the Syrian regime,” said Paulo Pinheiro, chair of the commission. “The victims of these crimes have suffered unspeakable pain and suffering.”
The report states that torture is “routinely used against civilians” by the Syrian regime’s security forces, including the Air Force Intelligence, the General Intelligence Directorate, and the Military Intelligence Directorate. It also found that torture has been used in military detention centers and secret detention centers throughout the country.
The commission also found that arbitrary detention is used as a tool to silence dissent and intimidate the population. Civilians, including children, have been detained for months or even years without charge or trial.
“The regime’s detention and torture of civilians is not simply a side effect of an armed conflict – it is a deliberate and systematic policy used to crush any form of dissent and instil terror in the population,” said Pinheiro.
The commission called for the international community to hold the Assad regime accountable for these crimes and to take urgent measures to protect civilians in Syria. It also called for the establishment of a mechanism to collect evidence of human rights violations in Syria and to support victims seeking justice.
The report’s findings come as the Syrian conflict enters its 15th year. The war has caused widespread destruction and displacement, and has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
The UN investigation is the latest in a series of reports that have documented human rights violations in Syria. In 2021, the UN Human Rights Council established a new mechanism to collect evidence of human rights violations in Syria and to support victims seeking justice.
The international community has repeatedly condemned the Assad regime for its human rights abuses, but it has failed to take concrete action to stop the violence. The UN investigation’s findings are a reminder of the urgent need for the international community to act to protect civilians in Syria and to hold the Assad regime accountable for its crimes.
Syria: Rights probe reveals systematic torture and detention of Assad regime
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