CAIRO: Victims of unrest-related violence in Syria now face torture and other forms of ill-treatment within multiple state-run hospitals throughout the besieged nation, according to a report released by Amnesty International. Syrians seeking medical treatment for injuries suspected to be sustained due to participation in anti-government protests are met with abuse and torture in several state-run hospitals, often at the hands of the medical staff. “The problem is that what is happening is that people who have injuries, firearm or others, relating to the unrest, when they go to national or state-run hospitals, the state run hospitals are instructed by the Ministry of Health to report the patients to authorities. They are exposing these patients to arrest. Arrest in Syria means torture,” said Cilina Nasser, the report's lead researcher, in an interview with Bikyamasr.com. “I'm not going to clean your wound … I'm waiting for your foot to rot so that we can cut it off,” stated doctor to a 28-year-old gunshot victim on May 16, according to AI's report. “As we were performing surgery to a boy who had a firearm injury to his abdomen, the main surgeon said: ‘By God (wallah), if only I know that he's a protester, I would pierce his main artery and let him die… many die under surgery, don't they?'” stated a surgeon in his account to Amnesty International. The abuse in many Syrian hospitals has created a growing sense of fear about receiving medical attention in the suspected facilities and has often resulted in patients seeking medical attention in poorly equipped, makeshift facilities. Despite rising death tolls associated with anti-government unrest in the Syrian city of Homs, the amount of gunshot victims admitted to the National Hospital in Homs has significantly declined. Protesters are not the only ones facing abuse and coercion from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's military forces. Medical staff who do not report potential unrest victims to the Syrian authorities are often subjected to harassment, arrest and abuse. “Syrian medical workers are being placed in an impossible situation – forced to choose between treating wounded people and preserving their own safety,” said Nasser in the 39-page report. Syria's blood supply is controlled and distributed by the state-operated Central Blood Bank and thus puts medical staff in a precarious position when requesting blood for those injured in unrest-related activity. The Syrian government has ignored all requests by Amnesty International to enter Syria and conduct its research. “We had to work with all of the restrictions that are basically there. We did a lot of the interviews via Skype. It is the safest way to communicate without being monitored by the Syrian authorities,” said Nasser while explaining the research methods used to compile the report. Syria is home to an extensive network of secret police (mukhabarat) that has been successful in creating a shroud of fear among its citizens about speaking out against the al-Assad regime. Despite efforts by the secret police to keep the Syrian people quiet, especially toward international organizations such as Amnesty International, Nasser believes that the mood of the Syrian people has changed since the uprisings began in March. “I believe that, and its obvious, that since the uprising began, that this wall of fear has been removed. They are not afraid anymore to talk. The violence has become intolerable and unacceptable to them. They are willing to take certain risks. We assured them how careful and cautious we are. Our number one rule is the protection of the people we are interviewing,” expressed Nasser. As the civil unrest continues in Syria continues, Amnesty International believes that more direct action needs to be taken by the international community. “We believe that Syrian government has committed crimes against humanity and that the United Nations needs to recommend the Syrian case to the International Criminal Court because of the torture in various detention facilities. “The torture because it is systematic and widespread and thus means that it is a crime against humanity. The government knows about it and is giving the orders for it. There should be accountability,” concluded Nasser. Amnesty International conducted its research for the report from August to September and thus cannot confirm that torture and patient mistreatment are still occurring in Syrian hospitals, although according to Nasser, “I don't see how it would just disappear.” BM
