The situation in Homs Central Prison

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) has come to know through contact with informed sources in the city of Homs, that a delegation of prominent individuals in the city came to agreement with representatives of the Syrian regime on the 26/10/2012 on the following:

The following agreement was reached between the delegation of Homs prominent individuals and representatives of the Syrian government (26. Oct. 2012 at 04:00 a.m.):

1- The immediate release of the six captive military officers ( they have already been released ).
2- The immediate release of twenty one prisoners under the pardon act 71 of 10-23-2012 ( they have already been freed ).
3- The release of all prisoners in Sednaya prison that are from Homs.
4- Re-trials for all prisoners of the central jail of Homs inside of the prison itself (and not in the security centers of the government), on the three conditions below:
a. The presence of the delegation of Homs prominent individuals in all re-trials as monitors and observers.
b. Retrials to start on Wednesday 10-31-2012.
c. Every prisoner proven to be unarmed at the time of his or her arrest, must be released immediately.
d. Every prisoner proven to be armed at the time of his or her arrest shall serve half of the legal sentence.
The governor of Homs, the heads of the intelligent agencies, the prison administration, and an advisor of Bashar Assad who was in constant touch with him via phone were present for this agreement.

The prisoners were reported to be in a distressed psychological state due to the ill treatment, humiliation and torture they were subjected to. So much so that they informed the delegation to “send us coffins for we have tired of this life, and we wish to die for it is better than to be treated in a manner that it not even befitting for insects”. The Syrian regime war planes also continued to fly above the prison.

SHRC repeats its call for all prisoners to be immediately released, especially in that there is a presidential decree which rules this. SHRC also calls for human rights organisations to be allowed to visit the prison, and to investigate the treatment prisoners are being exposed to which makes them prefer death over life. SHRC also calls for an end to arbitrary arrest and to allow for freedom of expression, and the freedom to gather and protest.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
27/10/2012