Hama inmates riot, demand Syrian regime release political prisoners
Hama inmates riot, demand Syrian regime release political prisoners
Syrian prisoners under siege erupted in new riots in Hama prison, demanding the release of all political prisoners.
3 min read
Hama prisoners have returned to rioting [twitter]
Syrian prison inmates in Hama rioted Saturday for the second time this month, holding its director and a police chief hostage and demanding to be released, a monitor said.
"A new riot started in the central Hama prison appearing to be more serious than the previous one as the prisoners were able to detain the director of the prison, the head of police in Hama city and nine policemen," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"The protest started because the regime did not adhere to the agreement… and released 'shabiha' [armed pro-regime gangs] convicted of criminal charges not political prisoners," a spokesperson for the detainees told The New Arab.
"The regime promised to release 491 detainees and now they are denying the [any agreement]."
This week, the prisoner release ground to a halt with the warden blaming the delay on Damascus authorities. Many detainees have also been rearrested shortly after leaving jail.
Following the breaking of the agreement, the inmates took control of the main gate separating the prison ward from the guards' offices on Wednesday.
A raid by security forces on the prison in the central city of Hama earlier this month failed to end a mutiny involving around 800 inmates who activists said were mostly political detainees.
Detainees took 10 guards hostage in that riot, which started after an attempt to transfer inmates to another prison near Damascus where numerous executions of prisoners have been reported.
"Prisoners insist they will not accept partial solutions as happened last time, and insist on the release of all prisoners...or the deadlock will continue" Hassan Omari, spokesperson for Hama Media centre told The New Arab.
The regime freed more than 120 detainees but a further 650 remain inside after the regime decided not to release them immediately but to send them to trial instead, Omari added.
Footage circulated online on Saturday appears to show dozens of inmates in a corridor inside the prison shouting "God is great".
"The director and the police chief and some policemen were captured on May 28 at 0200 pm," a voice is heard saying.
Prisoners are reportedly holding Hama police chief, Major General Ashraf Taha, Brigadier Jassim al-Khalf, prison director, and around a dozen members of the police.
Representatives of the judiciary and heads of security branches in Hama arrived to the prison on Saturday night to negotiate directly with the prisoners, where the inmates declared a campaign of civil disobedience until political detainees are released.
Authorities have cut water and electricity in response to the riot and jammed communications coming from the prison.
"A new riot started in the central Hama prison appearing to be more serious than the previous one as the prisoners were able to detain the director of the prison, the head of police in Hama city and nine policemen," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
"The protest started because the regime did not adhere to the agreement… and released 'shabiha' [armed pro-regime gangs] convicted of criminal charges not political prisoners," a spokesperson for the detainees told The New Arab.
"The regime promised to release 491 detainees and now they are denying the [any agreement]."
This week, the prisoner release ground to a halt with the warden blaming the delay on Damascus authorities. Many detainees have also been rearrested shortly after leaving jail.
Following the breaking of the agreement, the inmates took control of the main gate separating the prison ward from the guards' offices on Wednesday.
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The inmates took control of the main gate separating the prison ward from the guards' offices on Wednesday |  |
Detainees took 10 guards hostage in that riot, which started after an attempt to transfer inmates to another prison near Damascus where numerous executions of prisoners have been reported.
"Prisoners insist they will not accept partial solutions as happened last time, and insist on the release of all prisoners...or the deadlock will continue" Hassan Omari, spokesperson for Hama Media centre told The New Arab.
The regime freed more than 120 detainees but a further 650 remain inside after the regime decided not to release them immediately but to send them to trial instead, Omari added.
|
Prisoners are reportedly holding Hama police chief, Major General Ashraf Taha, Brigadier Jassim al-Khalf, prison director, and around a dozen members of the police | |
Footage circulated online on Saturday appears to show dozens of inmates in a corridor inside the prison shouting "God is great".
"The director and the police chief and some policemen were captured on May 28 at 0200 pm," a voice is heard saying.
Prisoners are reportedly holding Hama police chief, Major General Ashraf Taha, Brigadier Jassim al-Khalf, prison director, and around a dozen members of the police.
Representatives of the judiciary and heads of security branches in Hama arrived to the prison on Saturday night to negotiate directly with the prisoners, where the inmates declared a campaign of civil disobedience until political detainees are released.
Authorities have cut water and electricity in response to the riot and jammed communications coming from the prison.
More than 200,000 people have spent time in regime prisons since 2011, according to the Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria for its information.
At least 60,000 people have died in government prisons during Syria's five-year war from torture or due to dire humanitarian conditions, including a lack of food.
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) May 28, 2016
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