The British government called on the Assad regime to release detainees before the resumption of the Geneva talks due to begin on March 9.
A video posted on the British government-run “UK Against Daesh” twitter handle yesterday said that “since 2011 Asad’s security forces have abducted and detained tens of thousands of men, women and children without trial.”
“Many have never been seen against,” UK Against Daesh added.
The British government also said that “the release of detainees by the Asad Regime would prove a genuine commitment peace talks and ending the suffering of the Syrian people.”
Over 215,000 Syrians, including women and children, have been arbitrarily detained since March 2011, according to estimates by the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR).
In its monthly report released on Sunday, SNHR said that regime forces are responsible for 99% of the cases of forced disappearance in Syria.
The rights group monitoring the war in Syria added that 99.9% of the arrests carried out by regime forces took place without an arrest warrant. It pointed out that the overwhelming majority of the arrests take place during house-to-house raids on civilian homes or at security checkpoints.
The network also said that the Assad regime continues to deny responsibility for these arrests, adding that detainees in Assad’s prisons are subject to severe torture in inhumane conditions. (Source: Agencies)
