SNHR: Military Pieces that Contain Prisoners

Prepared by Syrian Network for Human Rights

Date of issue: 30/8/2013

According to the last statistic conducted by SNHR in 12/6/2013, the number of detainees exceeded 215.000.  SNHR listed more than 50% of them, and because there are parents not willing to refer to their child’s detention, especially if she is a female, this hampers the ability to document all detainees’ names, unlike the victims whose names we documented accurately.

The detention, or enforced disappearances, occur when persons are arrested, detained or abducted against their will or otherwise deprived of their liberty by officials of different branches or levels of Government, by organized groups, or private individuals acting on behalf of, or with the support be it direct or indirect, consent or acquiescence to the Government.  This is followed by a refusal to disclose the fate or whereabouts of the persons concerned, or a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of their liberty, which places such persons outside the protection of the law.

Among the 215.000 detainees, 80.000 Syrian citizens considered as enforced disappearance, according to SNHR’s lists, which are available for IRC and UN if they wish to see.

Among the 215.000 detainees, more than 9,000 are under the age of 18, and subjected to different types of torture similar to the torture detained men undergo.

Among the 215.000 detainees, more than 5000 women.

The detainees are subjected to the daily, systematically, and extremely violent and difficult methods of torture for at least 14 hours a day, which led to the death of 3117 citizens tortured to death, including 29 women and 91 children.

Due to the significant rise in the numbers of detainees, prisons and the main security branches are no longer enough, they are:

1- Air Force intelligence

2- Military Security

3- Political Security

4- State Security

In addition to central prisons, that contain thousands of detainees, our report focuses on military bases that contain detainees.

The Syrian regime used military bases as detention centers where civilians were tortured.  It is almost confirmed that the international society will intervene militarily to stop the bloodshed in Syria and hit the regime’s military bases where they used to shell the cities and residential neighborhoods from.  However, we must pay attention to theses military bases that contain civilian prisoners that take into consideration an objective to only target military vehicles without the buildings that exist within those military units, in order to preserve the life of those civilians.

We also don’t rule out that Syrian regime will kill large numbers of detainees and accuse the international society of doing so.

These are the following military bases, with each site there is a map that shows the location of it:

First: Damascus governorate

 

– Almaza military airport (there are almost 8,000 detainees from Damascus and countryside exist in the sport hall of the airport)

https://maps.google.com/?ll=33.484225,36.22673&spn=0.004886,0.010568&t=h&z=17

– Omaya school turned into military barrack

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.517122,36.311917&num=1&t=h&z=16

– Altajheez school turned into military barrack

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.515351,36.292498&num=1&t=h&z=17

– Pakistani school turned into military barrack

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.50424,36.115451&num=1&t=h&z=16

– Tenth Brigade Qatana

– Third Brigade Qtaifih

– Sydnaya prison https://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.665461,36.328819&num=1&t=h&z=15

– Aldomair airport

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.615191,36.745563&num=1&t=h&z=14

– Fourth Brigade Dimas containers

– Republican Guard:  Najha containers

– First Brigade: Alkosoa

================================

Second: Homs governorate:

– Alhasan Ibn Alhaitham military campaign, all the detainees there are civilians:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.69048,36.728763&hl=en&num=1&t=h&z=17–

– Military housing factory, most detainees are civilians:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.657216,36.715898&hl=en&num=1&t=h&z=16

– Air Defense Brigade in Ghantou village, most of the detainees are defected soldiers and Free Syrian Army’s fighters:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.795259,36.710932&hl=en&num=1&t=h&z=17

– Military institute for vegetables and fruits- Qusor neighborhood, most detainees moved to air security branch, only a few civilians there:

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=34.746895,36.709562&hl=en&num=1&t=h&z=19

SNHR’s members received reports that security forces evacuated the security headquarters and central prison, and were transferred to civilians headquarters in the following areas:

(Mukhtaria, Zahraa, Zaidal)

========================================

Third: Aleppo governorate:

– Hanano Barrackshttps://maps.google.com.eg/maps?q=36.207403,37.169641&hl=en&num=1&t=m&z=16

36.207403,37.169641

– Aleppo International Stadium: turned into military barrack, contains armor

https://maps.google.com.eg/maps?q=36.186104,37.116939&hl=en&num=1&t=m&z=13

36.186104,37.116939

– Alnairab military airport, has civilians and defected soldiers in its buildings

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=36.180614,37.22438&num=1&t=h&z=16

===========================================================================

Fourth: Hama governorate:

 

– Military airport has large numbers of detainees, specifically in dispensary and the near buildings.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=35.122717,36.708042&num=1&t=h&z=13

– Brigade 47 located on southern side of Homs Highway

–  Dier Shmil camp located in the western countryside

==============================================

Fifth : Lattakia governorate:

 

All the detainees are civilians who retreated or wanted to do military service.  They were held in this location in addition to prisoners that were transferred from political security..  Unless they were transferred to the courts or Damascus.

 1- Military bases:

-The castle is in the center of the city and is also an air base and a missile platform, containing a large number of Anti-aircraft munitions, Gvozdika, number of soldiers are 360, and there are tunnels underneath

35.521434, 35.785303

 

– Salah Aldin barracks ( which is a battalion belong to the Republican Guard, military security and Military prison)

– Al- Yahodia located at the entrance of the city before Tishreen university, extends over a wide area, contain thousands of soldiers, surface to surface rocket launcher and other weapons.

2- Alternative bases:

– Sports city (Alassad sport city) off the shore of the Mediterranean Sea on the northern outskirts of the city of Latakia. With an area of 160 hectares, has been turned into a military barracks contains tanks, armored personnel carrier, Ammunition depots, and is the official residence of Helal Al-Assad while turning the horse track to a place of detention hundreds of Syrians

– Jol Jamal school turned into military barrack, launching centre, and arming soldiers ( inside the school there is a tunnel leads to shelters under Hafez Al-Asaad’s statue in Sheikh Daher square , we think that there are detainees there )

35.522211,35.778415

SNHR’s members got reports that security forces evacuate security headquarters and central prison, and move them to civilians headquarters.

======================================================================

 

Sixth : Dier ez-Zor governorate:

 

– Avant-garde camp in Jorah neighborhood

https://maps.google.com.qa/maps?q=35.353776,40.106621&hl=ar&num=1&gl=QA&t=m&z=13

– Panorama’s barrier building located at the sides of Dier ez-Zoor towards Palmyra, almost 10 km far from the centre of the city, they held civilians there temporarily, then they departed to a security branch.

As Security Forces Crack Down on Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood the Egyptian Government has Taken Steps to Outlaw the Political Party

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan

Impunity Watch, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Egyptian State media reported that an improvised explosive device was detonated at a police station in Downtown Cairo wounding two workers Monday. Three people on a motorcycle reportedly threw a homemade grenade style explosive devise at the police station. There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack.

As security forces crack down on the Muslim Brotherhood and Egyptian court has recommended the dissolution of the Brotherhood as a legal non-government organization (photo courtesy of Al Jazeera)

The attack came just a day after Egypt’s state run news agency reported Sunday that former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi will stand trial for charges of inciting murder and violence. The military backed government is essentially holding Morsi responsible for the deaths of protesters and other civilians since security forces began violently cracking down on protesters. The ousted President is also being investigated for his escape from prison during the 2011 uprising against former president Mubarak. While no formal charges have been brought, he has been accused of murder and conspiring with Hamas during his escape.

Egyptian security forces have killed hundreds of supporters of President Morsi since opponents of the coup began protesting the government after Morsi’s removal from power on July 3. Like the former president many of the protesters have been accused by the government of inciting violence and even coming terrorist attacks.

As part of its crackdown on supports of the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist political parties the military backed government has been excluding Islamists from the transitional process. The transitional government recently named a constituent assembly with almost no Islamists members. The government gave the assembly 60 days to review amendments that would repeal Islamic policies established over the last year by the Muslim Brotherhood led government and other more hard-line Islamic parties under President Morsi. The transitional government has also favoured policies that would officially raise the Egyptian military back to the elite status enjoyed under the presidency of the Military backed Dictator Hosni Mubarak.

The Nour Party has complained that the transitional government has had a deplorable policy of “exclusion of the Islamist current” in the commission of the review panel. The Nour Party was founded after the downfall of President Mubarak. The party also noted that the committee excluded members of the youth movements that ignited the revolution through social media driven demonstrations beginning on January 25, 2011.

The Egyptian government has also taken steps to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood, returning it to the illegal status placed on the party, which won a majority of votes in Egypt’s polar vote that was forced on it under Mubarak. A judicial panel has advised an Egyptian court to dissolve the Muslim Brotherhood as a legal non-governmental organization, the mood would effectively outlaw former President Mohamed Morsi’s Political party.

 

For further information please see:

Reuters – Egypt Sends Mursi to Trial as New Constitution Advances – 1 September 2013

Al Jazeera – Bomb Blast Hits Cairo Police Station – 2 September 2013

Al Jazeera – Egypt Panel Urges Brotherhood Dissolution – 2 September 2013

CNN International – Egypt to Try Former President Mohamed Morsy in Protest Deaths – 2 September 2013

NBCNews – Improvised Bomb Wounds Two at Cairo Police Station – 2 September 2013

 

 

 

 

Mexican Authorities Arrest Members of Rival Drug Cartels

By Brandon Cottrell
Impunity Watch Reporter, North America

MEXICO CITY, Mexico  – Over the weekend Mexican authorities arrested two members of competing drug cartels.  Mario Nunez, member of the Sinaola drug cartel, was arrested on Friday for the murders of 350 people in 2011.  Alberto Carrillo, member of the Juarez drug cartel, was arrested today for drug trafficking, murder, and money laundering.  Neither Nunez nor Carrillo resisted arrest.

Mario Nunez, of the Sinaola drug cartel, was arrested over the weekend for the murders of 350 people in 2011. (Photo Courtesy MSN News).

Carrillo’s Juarez drug cartel is considered by many as one of the most powerful and violent cartels in Mexico.  As of late, however, the Juarez cartel has lost some of its drug routes to Nunez’s Sinaola cartel.  The rivalry between the cartels has contributed to the drug war in northern Mexico, where large fields of marijuana and heroin-producing poppies are located.  The drug war there has left thousands of people dead over the past few years and minimal arrests have been made in those murders.

Eduardo Sanchez, a federal security spokesman, said that “Nunez played a key role in the wave of violence that has plagued northern [Mexico] . . . and is likely responsible for the murder of more than 350 people found in 23 clandestine graves.”  Authorities believe that Nunez also hired hitmen to carry out some of the killings, which included mutilations and decapitations of the victims.

Nunez, who could face up to 40 years in prison in Mexico, is also wanted in the United States on drug trafficking charges.  It is not clear, however, if the United States will send an extradition request for him.

Over the past six years, over seventy-thousand people have died as a result of drug-related violence in Mexico, with many of the victims being civilians.  However, Carrillo’s arrest marks the third high-profile drug cartel arrest this year as authorities have intensified their campaign against the cartels.

Additionally, with Nunez’s arrest Mexican authorities have captured 63 of Mexico’s 122 most wanted and dangerous criminals.  Many of those arrests can be attributed to President Pena Nieto’s promise to tame the cartels and restore order.  However, nearly half of the Mexicans questioned in a recent poll believe that drug violence has worsened since Nieto took office in December and an another third believe that Mexico is less safe as a result of Nieto’s strategies.

 

For more information, please see:

BBC – Juarez Cartel Boss Alberto Carrillo Caught in Mexico – 2 September 2013

Daily Mail – Drug Cartel Leader Nicknamed ‘Ugly Betty’ is Captured in Latest Round of High Profile Arrests by Mexican Police – 2 September 2013

Fox News – Mexico Captures Suspected Leader Of Juarez Drug Cartel – 2 September 2013

Global Post – Mexico Detains Cartel Operator Mario Nunez Meza Tied to 350 Murders – 30 August 2013

International Business Times – Mexican Drug Lord Mario Nunez Arrested for 350 Murders – 30 August 2013

Militants Attempt to Disrupt Supply Line in Afghanistan

By Kevin M. Mathewson
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

NANGARHAR, Afghanistan — Militants have attacked a U.S. base in the Nangarhar province near the Pakistani border, setting dozens of parked NATO supply vehicles on fire, officials said. Dressed as Afghan police officers, three insurgents were killed after a lengthy gun battle with helicopter gunships. The incident was described as an “attempted but unsuccessful coordinated attack by enemy forces”.

NATO supply vehicles were set ablaze in the attack, blocking the supply route from Pakistan.

Ahmad Zia Abdulzia, a Nangarhar provincial spokesman, said militants wearing suicide vests and carrying weapons initiated the attack and that Afghan and U.S. forces exchanged gunfire with the insurgents until NATO helicopters joined the fight. The encounter began at approximately 6:30 A.M. and lasted three and a half hours.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the latest in an upwelling of violence in Afghanistan. The violence is being interpreted by some as an effort by the Taliban to test the strength of Afghan forces ahead of the planned withdrawal of U.S.-led forces anticipated to occur by the end of next year.

The U.S. provides the bulk of military presence in Afghanistan with 68,000 troops, followed by the U.K. with 9,000 troops.

Officials have stated that no Afghan or U.S. soldiers were killed in the raid, and the attacks never gained entry to the base.

The financial cost of the attack to the United States is likely to be enormous.  “Our investigation shows some 41 vehicles – supply trucks and vehicles belonging to U.S. forces – were destroyed in the attack.” Abdulzai said.

The U.S. base is home to roughly 66,000 American troops along with forces from other countries. The base is an essential stopping point for NATO vehicles. The highway between Jalalabad city and Torkham, leading to the base, has been closed due to the attack.

Militants have frequently targeted the supply line through Afghanistan, leading NATO to a shift in transporting a majority of its supplies along routes in Central Asian states instead of through Pakistan.

For further information, please see:

BBC News – Taliban bombers attack US base in Afghanistan – 2 September 2013

UPI – Militants launch unsuccessful attack near U.S. base in Afghanistan – 2 September 2013

The Independent – Taliban attacks Nato base in Afghanistan – 2 September 2013

Yahoo! News – Afghan Taliban attack US base, NATO supply vehicles – 2 September 2013