Methodology
Since 2011, the Syrian regime has refused to recognize any arrests it had made as it accused Al-Qaeda and the terrorist groups of committing these crimes. Also, the Syrian regime doesn’t recognize any torture cases or torturing to death. SNHR acquire its information from former prisoners and prisoners’ families where most of the families get information about their beloved ones who are in prison by bribing the officials in charge.
At SNHR, we rely on the families’ testimonies we get. However, it should be noted that there are many cases where the Syrian authorities don’t give the families the dead bodies. Also, many families abstain from going to the military hospitals to bring the dead bodies of their beloved ones or even their belongings out of fear that they might themselves get arrested.
Therefore, SNHR faces serious difficulties in the documentation process because it is banned and its members are pursued. In light of such circumstances, it is difficult to completely verify the number of victims as the process remains mainly based on ongoing documentation and investigation even with taking into consideration the families and its testimonies.
Executive Summary
SNHR documented in the month of February 2015 no less than 80 victims who were tortured to death in the official and unofficial detention centers as follows:
– Government forces: 74
– Kurdish forces: one
– Extremist groups:
Daesh: one
An-Nussra Front: three
Armed opposition: one
The ceaseless cases of victims who are being torturing to death reflect the systematic excessive force that is being used against detainees.