We condemn torture in Syrian prisons, urge America & Russia to act
Ross Greer MSP, External Affairs spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, has lodged a Scottish Parliament motion highlighting a new report by Amnesty International, which details the horrifying experiences of detainees in Syrian government prisons.
The report estimates that more than 17,723 people have died in custody in Syria over the past five years. It documents the cases of 65 torture survivors.
Ross Greer MSP said:
“The appalling situation in Syria cannot be overlooked, and the recent image of young Omran Daqneesh in an ambulance in Aleppo has done much to refocus attention on the war. The Amnesty report into the situation in Syrian government prisons makes for sickening reading, and adds to the need for urgent action.
"I hope by highlighting this report at Holyrood I can help build support for a strong message from Scotland that we condemn torture and expect America & Russia to deal with the unacceptable abuses in Syrian prisons.”
Naomi McAuliffe, Amnesty International’s Scotland Programme Director, said:
“The horror stories featured in our latest Syria report depict in gruesome detail the dreadful abuse detainees routinely suffer from the moment of their arrest. As well as suffering physical, mental, and sexual abuse, prisoners are being at risk of death in custody.
“The Syrian authorities have failed to stop the security forces carrying out horrendous human rights abuses on prisoners in Syria. It is imperative that, during the peace talks and beyond, the international community urgently investigate the ongoing scandal of detention abuses in Syria.”