Man from Syria’s Daraa dies under torture in notorious Saydnaya Prison
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – Family of a young man, Khalil Sayel al-Busayri, from Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, who had been detained in the notorious government-run Saydnaya Prison, received on Saturday news of his death under torture.
A relative of al-Busayri, who preferred to remain unnamed, told North Press on Sunday that the deceased’s family received news of his death through lawyers and connections in the Syrian government forces.
The infamous Saydnaya Prison is located 30 kilometers north of Damascus. The prison is affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense and is run by the Military Police. It has become infamous for brutal tortures after guards in the prison used excessive force against some detainees who staged a revolt in 2008. The prison is comprised of two buildings and can take between 10,000 and 20,000 prisoners.
Since the beginning of the Syrian crisis in 2011, the prison has become the final destination for the those who oppose the government whether civilians or military members.
Many residents from Daraa have been killed in Saydnaya Prison after a government settlement in 2018.
In July 2018, the opposition armed factions and the government forces reached a ceasefire agreement mediated by Russia in the opposition-held areas in Daraa. Under the deal, the opposition armed factions agreed to hand over their weapons in exchange for staying in Daraa, and those who opposed the agreement they were sent to Idlib, which is under the control of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS – formerly al-Nusra Front).
Amnesty International has described the prison as a human slaughterhouse where the Syrian state quietly slaughters its own people.
Al-Busayri, who hails from the city of Nawa in the north of Daraa, was arrested at a checkpoint of the government forces in Daraa two years ago.