Harrowing report

A horrifying recent report by Amnesty International disclosed that 17,723 people died in Syrian jails since the crisis began in this country, in March 2011, due to malnutrition, disease or, often, torture.

The experience of thousands of detainees could be only guessed from the descriptions of a few scores of torture survivors who described the appalling abuse and inhuman conditions in security branches operated by Syrian intelligence agencies on the outskirts of Damascus.

The figures and harrowing descriptions paint an alarming picture of the human rights situation in Syria, in this case in areas still under the full control of Damascus.

To be sure, Syria never enjoyed a good human rights record, but it had only worsened during the civil war in the country.

“For decades, Syrian government forces have used torture as a means to crush their opponents. Today, it is being carried out as part of a systematic and widespread attack directed against anyone suspected of opposing the government in the civilian population and amounts to crimes against humanity. Those responsible for these heinous crimes must be brought to justice,” said Philip Luther, director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

Friends and allies of Damascus must take due note of this dismal human rights record.

They should, more immediately, have these abuses as a priority issue on their agenda of discussion with both authorities and armed groups, and, in the longer run, decide whether they would still want to prop a regime that treats its citizens inhumanly.

Russia and Iran, the major powers supporting the Assad regime, bear a special responsibility to combat the widespread human rights violations in Syrian jails. They have leverage with Damascus and as such, could stem human rights abuses.

The UN human rights organisms, especially the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, are expected to sound the alarm about the grave conditions of prisoners in Syria, and call for real and effective action to put a stop to them.

The UN Human Rights Council might also consider holding a special meeting discussing this issue in Syria.

The international community cannot continue to watch unperturbed atrocities as those described in the Amnesty International report taking place in Syria.

Damascus hopes to win international recognition as the legitimate government of all Syrians.

Murdering thousands of citizens in and outside prisons is no way to gain such a recognition.

All parties involved in the death machine in Syria must be aware that the day of reckoning will come. And when it comes, the retribution can be expected to be implacable.