Hundreds freed after Syrian opposition seizes Aleppo prison

Syrian rebel fighters seized parts of Aleppo’s central prison located in the north of the city and released hundreds of prisoners, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported in Thursday.

The director of the observatory Rami Abdul Rahman said in a telephone interview with AFP: “Ahrar Al-Sham and Al-Nusra Front (brigades) have taken control of 80 per cent of Aleppo central prison and freed hundreds of prisoners.”

He said they were able to release hundreds of prisoners while clashes were still raging in other parts of the prison.

The National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces said in a statement issued by its press office In Istanbul that the capture of the prison was coordinated between fighting rebel groups after a siege that lasted nearly nine months.

According to the statement the prison had turned in to a place for torturing prisoners since the battles reached Aleppo. Some 150 prisoners have been killed there by live ammunition or torture in addition to dozens who died because of ill-treatment and starvation.

The prison held detainees who were arrested during the 2011 demonstrations, in addition to political detainees. Last December, 350 prisoners were released after the death of 10 due to the cold weather.

Source: Asharq