HomeMonthly ReportsDetainees and Forcibly Disappeared PersonsNo less than 745 Cases of Arbitrary Arrest recorded in August 2014

No less than 745 Cases of Arbitrary Arrest recorded in August 2014

Share

No less than 745 Cases of Arbitrary Arrest recorded in August 2014

I- Introduction Methodology:
The ongoing and daily process of documenting detainees comes with additional challenges for SNHR that have been documenting detainees since 2011. One of these most notable challenges is the families’ reluctance to cooperate and reveal any information on their family members’ arrest even secretively and especially if the arrested individual was a female due to a prevalent notion among the Syrian society that doing so would result in more torture and risks. Instead, the families try to negotiate with security forces that usually blackmail these families and demand a cash payment up to thousands of dollars in same cases. Despite the fact that SNHR possesses lists of more than 117,000 detainees, including children and women, it should be noted that we estimate that the actual number of detainees have exceeded 215,000; 99% of them are being detained mainly by government forces.
 
The international community’s and the United Nations’, in all of its organs, failure to press on the Syrian authorities to release even one case (including those whose sentences are over), and even prisoners of conscience, was one of the reasons the Syrian society believe it is useless to cooperate in the documentation process. Most of the releases were part of exchange deals with the armed opposition.
The Syrian government denies that it made any arrests or executed any abductions when asked by the detainees’ families. SNHR obtains its information from former detainees.
 
All the documented detainees in August were arrested without a warrant, which has become a norm and a methodology in 99.9% of the arrests made by government forces in all of its categories and entities (army, security forces, local militias, foreign militias). In all of the many interviews we conducted with thousands of prisoners since 2011, we have never heard of an arrest warrant or a cause. Most of the arrests are either through breaking doors and arresting people from their homes or at checkpoints in the streets. Apparently, government forces follow this method in order to wipe off any evidence that might put it responsible for these arrests and the torture, physical violence, extrajudicial killing, and the other crimes and violations that follow.
 
Also, government forces don’t allow 99.9% of the detainees to contact a lawyer, their families, or anyone. The people who perpetrate these crimes, or other crimes, have never been punished by government forces and no case involving that have been recorded. Instead, government authorities, itself, encourage and protect the people who perpetrate these crimes.
 

View full Report

Subscribe

Latest Articles

Related articles

At least 2,623 Arbitrary Detentions Documented in 2024, Including 349 in December

With Assad Regime Detention Centers Opened and All Detainees Released, SNHR Renews Its Calls to All Parties...

1,264 Civilian Deaths, Including 242 Children and 118 Women, as well as 86 Deaths due...

503 Civilians Deaths; Including 96 Children and 49 Women, as well as Four Deaths due to Torture,...

149 Civilians Killed, Including 35 Children and 16 Women, in Northern Syria Since November 27,...

SNHR’s 1st Report on the Attacks on Civilians and Vital Facilities, and the Use of Prohibited Weapons...

At least 196 Arbitrary Detentions Recorded in November 2024

Regime-Linked Local Militias Carry Out Numerous Detentions Languages Available In English عربي   Press release: (Download the full report below) The Hague...