Syrian jail riot kills at least 25
Sunday, July 6, 2008
- 5 February 2012: UN resolution on Syria vetoed by Russia and China
- 24 January 2012: Wikinews Shorts: January 24, 2012
- 3 January 2012: Two Syrian journalists killed around New Year's Day
- 29 October 2011: No-fly zone demanded by Syrian protesters
- 15 August 2011: Syrian naval vessels, ground troops attack port of Latakia
A riot in a prison located in the Syrian city of Damascus has resulted in 25 deaths, according to reports provided by human rights groups. Military police fired into the rioters, who were protesting against alleged violence by prison guards against prisoners.
Prisoners have claimed that they have been routinely beaten by guards. One prisoner said that, "they [the guards] shackled our hands behind us, confiscated our clothes and possessions, and beat us. And they insulted the Koran, they trod on the Koran."
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights strongly criticized the Syrian government's reaction to the incident in a statement released yesterday: "The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights demands that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad intervenes immediately to stop this massacre."
Some of the prisoners have claimed that they have taken hundreds of hostages in order to increase the pressure placed on the Syrian government to respond to the prisoner guards' actions.
Sources
- AFP. "25 killed in Syrian prison riot: rights group" — Tehran Times, July 6, 2008
- "'Many killed' in Syrian jail riot" — BBC News Online, July 5, 2008
