Syria: regime ‘tortured to death’ returning displaced person in Aleppo

The Syrian Network for Human Rights accused the Syrian regime on Monday of arresting and torturing to death a displaced person after he had returned to his home in the regime-held areas in Aleppo.

Muhammad Abdul Rahman Majo, from the Khan Al-Assal neighbourhood, had been displaced to Atarib, which is controlled by anti-regime forces. He returned to Aleppo in May to settle his security situation and live in his house. However, on 15 June, security agents arrested him there.

According to the human rights group, no arrest warrant issued by a court or the public prosecutor was presented, and none of his relatives were notified of his arrest. The young man was taken to a detention centre in Damascus and prevented from communicating with his family or a lawyer.

“On 3 August,” added the network, “Muhammad’s family received unofficial news of his death in a detention centre in Damascus, through a phone call from members of the regime forces. They received his body in Aleppo two days later.”

It was pointed out that he had been brutally tortured, deprived of food and had no healthcare during his detention. Evidence of torture was apparent on his body.

His family has been unable to open an investigation into his death or file a complaint with the Public Prosecutor for fear of repercussions from the regime security services.

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