Syria: 40 minors from Daraya tortured or detained at high risk of torture

Alkarama is deeply concerned about the alleged violations of human rights in Syria. At present, we were informed of the cases of 40 Syrian minors who are being or were detained incommunicado by the Air Force Intelligence. They are suffering, or have suffered, torture despite being minors under international law as all were 17 or under at the time of their arrest. All of them were arrested or abducted by agents from the Air Force Intelligence from the streets of Daraya, Rif Damascus Governorate, and have been subjected to the same ill-treatment and torture to which adults are being exposed to in Syria.

Among the minors still at risk of torture are:

Arrested without confirmed release and therefore still at likely risk of torture are:

Many others have been released and give horrifying testimonies about the treatments they had been subjected to. Among the various methods used on them were being hung from sensitive parts of their bodies, having slabs of damp (to create additional weight) concrete broken on the top of their heads or being severely beaten. They were usually placed in overcrowded cells (containing 35 individuals in a 20m² cell) with limited access to sanitary facilities. They had to share the cell with other adult detainees.

In light of the above information, Alkarama asked the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to take urgent action with the Syrian authorities to put an end to the torture and ill treatment of the above-named, and release them immediately.