Rights Group Cites ‘State Policy of Torture’ in Syria as Stream of Defectors Reported
Global disgust over the Syrian regime’s purported torture of citizens reached a pinnacle Tuesday, with a human rights group and a foreign diplomat decrying new reports of government atrocities.
According to a report published Tuesday by Human Rights Watch, the Syrian regime has been carrying out “a state policy of torture” as part of an effort to crush dissent. The group cited more than 200 former prisoners and security officers who defected.
Authorities are using a network of torture chambers “to intimidate and punish people who dare to oppose the government,” said Ole Solvang, a Human Rights Watch researcher.
In some cases, the report said, the government tortured children.