Winning the presidential elections, The Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad issued an amnesty decree on 9 June, 2014. Nevertheless, the Syrian regime security forces and its militias kept carrying out arresting campaigns. SNHR detainees working team documented 1217 arrests, including 52 women, since 9 June, 2014 the day of the presidential decree.
According to the decree, the Syrian regime was supposed to release prisoners. The Syrian regime did release prisoners but only after they had been tortured to death. SNHR documented the names, dates, and location of 679 victims who died under torture.
The distribution of victims who died under torture by governorate is as follows:
Homs: 129
Damascus countryside: 96
Daraa: 94
Damascus: 78
Idlib: 76
Hama: 64
Der Ezzor: 53
Aleppo: 29
Latakia: 21
Qunietra: 16
Ar-Raqqa: 10
Al-Hassaka: seven
Tartus: four
