In parallel with the armed repression of the popular uprising, the Syrian government initiated a media war against the rebels. This is by interviewing activists or their family members, and forcing them to confess that they committed criminal acts, or to reveal plans of operations which their friends or family members took part in, and which they have refused to take part in due to their nationalistic duty towards this country.
The Syrian network for human rights received information which revealed that the Syrian intelligence forces have threatened dozens of activists and tortured them severely, or kidnapped their wives and daughters and threatened to remove their clothes and rape them in front of their husband or father, if they did not confess on the state TV of terrorist acts which they did not commit.
Out of the dozens of these victims which appeared on the Syrian state TV, we documented three cases for which we obtained very accurate evidence of their death and torture by the Syrian governments’ intelligence system. After they appeared on the Syrian state TV and allegedly confessed, the Syrian government handed their dead bodies back to their families and relatives; their bodies had sings of brutal torture.
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The first case: Citizen Khalid Al Rifai
Khalid Al Rifai went out to protest against the Syrian government on 21-10-2011, which was the Friday of ‘Martyrs of Arabs deadlines’ as named by revolutionists, with many others who were praying in Al Marija mosque. The protesters were attacked by the security forces and the Syrian army on that day with live bullets and bombs, then the protesters began to flee and Syrian army snipers followed them and killed and injured many of them.
Khalid then started to transport the wounded in his car to the nearest hospital, which is Dan hospital. The following links show footage of the ‘deadline’ massacre and they show the car in which injured people were transported:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnQF7C53Ywkhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRWY48DOlvw&skipcontrinter=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyjKxQM4sc4&skipcontrinter=1The Syrian army stopped Khalid’s car and accused him of betrayal for aiding the wounded and started to violently hit him, they also shot and executed the wounded people who were with him. They then arrested Khalid to make him confess on the Syrian state TV and to contradict the narrations of the massacre by the Arab and international news agencies.
Khalid was tortured and threatened, and was made to confess that he killed the injured people, the following link shows his interview on the Syrian state TV, the signs of torture are visible on his face
http://www.youtube.com/user/SyrianTVOfficial#p/u/25/Nmbew3OllCUKhalids dead body was handed over to his wife and children after a few days, signs of brutal torture were visible on his body, he was killed without any trial or conviction, even though the incident occurred after the emergency law was lifted
Here is a video which shows the martyr Khalid Al Rifai with signs of torture on his body
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxF36B1-96oFootage of Khalids funeral
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP8vqlqO1-EThe second case: Citizen Abdul Qader Nabhan
Abdul Qader Nabhan is from Al Ghanto neighbourhood in Homs, he was arrested by the Syrian intelligence and security forces without out a licence to arrest, after period of time following his arrest, he appeared on the Syrian state TV, and he confessed that he is a criminal and a murder
The following link is a video in which Abdul Qader Nabhan appears on the Syrian state TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtGHD4jFTngAfter a period of time following the interview, the intelligence security forces handed his body back to his parents; his body had signs of severe torture as we were told by his relatives, this was on 24-12-2011.
The civilians of Al Ghanto neighbourhood condemned the arrest of their friend and denied the Syrian governments claims, saying that Abdul Qader Nabhan was forced to confess those things because he was under severe, vicious torture.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mql-KyM2JNMThe third case: Mohammad Raso
On Sunday, 29-05-2011, a school bus which transports students from Al Rastan to Al Rawafed school in Homs and was targeted by the Syrian army’s forces fire, which are situated at Jesr Al Nar division. They fired at the school bus without warning at Talbiseh bridge specifically, and killed Hajer Taysir Al Khatib and first lieutenant Basam Tlas who was accompanying the children in the same bus with the children
Child eyewitness who survived the massacre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3oQjErKF5gA video showing the bus which was targeted by the Syrian governments army’s fire
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvonrmDzm1gFollowing this incident, the Syrian intelligence forces coordinated with the Syria state TV to cover the crime, therefore, Mohammad Raso was arrested and brutally tortured and threatened, as (S) who was with him in prison told us, to appear on the Syrian state TV, and to confess that he targeted the school bus, and that he is a terrorist and from Al Qaeda organisation.
A few days after the interview was aired on the Syrian TV, the Syrian intelligence forces handed over the dead body of Mohammad Raso, with signs of brutal torture on his body. It also appeared that an autopsy was done and many body parts were stolen. As shown by a video which was documented and shared by his friends and relatives.
The meeting with Mohammad Raso on AlDounia TV which belongs to Rami Makhlouf, Bashar’s cousin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVe1cJc3J70The citizens of Talbiseh town went out on Mohammad Raso’s funeral after his dead body was handed back by the intelligence forces to his parents
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYfwG5PRvE&feature=plcp* * *
The Syrian network for human rights considers the torture till death a systematic act committed by the Syrian government. The execution of civilians by torturing them till death without any military or city trial is a violation of basic human rights, and the Syrian government is totally responsible for these violations and is responsible for the repercussions to such actions.
The international community, especially the United Nations and the security council must stand against such actions, and must make strict decisions to stop the torture and killing in Syria. The international community is failing to take legal, humanitarian and moral actions on all levels, and it is responsible for all the reactions towards the crimes against humanity which is occurring in Syria.