17 October 2011

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:

Name

Age

Date of arrest

Anas Bin Sayed Sharara

17

15.07.2011

2.

Rachid Bin Ahmed Yahya

17

09.09.2011

3.

Mohamed Bin Mawafak El Abar

17

16.09.2011

4.

Maan Bin Fawaz Zardah

17

19.09.2011

5.

Selim Abo Rachid

17

21.09.2011

6.

Mohanad Dahlah

17

26.09.2011

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

Name

Age

Date of arrest

7.

Ward Eissa Balabisho

15

20.05.2011

8.

Wael Zaeetar

16

25.06.2011

9.

Mohamed Raslan Shama

17

Unknown

10.

Imad Moadamani

17

26.06. 2011

11.

Nidal Muslaim Alawee

15

10.07.2011

12.

Bassem Sulaiman Nakash

15

25.07.2011

13.

Ali Shehab

14

14.08.2011

14.

Mohamed Bin Omar Hadlah

16

14.08.2011

15.

Diaa Bin Mohamed Mourad

16

14.08.2011

16.

Anas Bin Zoher El Bayad

17

15.08.2011

17.

Mohamed Baroudy

13

17.08.2011

18.

Helal Wahbah

17

28.08.2011

19.

Mohanad Hadlah

16

Unknown

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.

Mauritania - HR Instruments

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)

ICCPR: Accessed on 17.11.2004
Optional Protocol: No

State report: Due on 01.11.2017 (2nd)
Last concluding observations: 20.11.2013

Convention against Torture (CAT)

CAT: Accessed on 17.11.2004
Optional Protocol: Yes
Art. 20 (Confidential inquiry): No
Art. 22 (Individual communications): No

State report: Due on 31.05.2017 (2nd)
Last concluding observations: 18.06.2013

International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance (CED)

CED: Ratified on 03.10.2012
Art. 33 (Inquiry procedure): Yes

State report: Overdue since 03.11.2014
Last concluding observations: N/A

Universal Periodic Review (UPR)

Last review: 11.2010 (1st cycle)
Next review: 2015 (2nd cycle)

National Human Rights Institution (NHRI)

Commission Nationale des Droits de l'Homme (CNDH) – Status A

Last review: 05.2011
Next review: 2016