“The kingdom of death and madness”

When they had finished beating us we were lined up in single file. Holding on to each others' clothes, blindfolded and with our heads lowered, we walked into the prison. We reached the fourth courtyard, a cell door was opened and we went in. We continued to be whipped from every direction until the cell door was closed. Everyone was in a bad condition, their legs bleeding and covered with wounds, as well as other parts of their bodies. Some of the prisoners died during the 'reception'...''

Former prisoners who were transferred to Tadmur Prison between 1996 and 2000 confirmed that they were subjected to this kind of ''reception''. The following are just two examples of the many similar reports received by Amnesty International.

''The bus arrived at Tadmur Prison where the military police awaited us... The warders pulled us off the bus(8) whipping us mercilessly and brutally until we were all out. They removed the handcuffs and blindfolds, and then we were taken into a courtyard overlooked by prison offices, where our names were registered. All the while we were being whipped from all sides. Then we were taken through a metal door into a courtyard known as the torture courtyard. The military police searched our clothes. One by one we were put into the ''tyre'', and each person was beaten between 200 and 400 times on his feet.

When death is a daily occurrence, lurking in torture, random beatings, eye-gouging, broken limbs and crushed fingers.. [when] death stares you in the face and is only avoided by sheer chance... wouldn't you welcome the merciful release of a bullet?
Extract from the prisoners' report smuggled out of Syria in 1999

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