The Syrian Human Rights League said that according to identical testimonies of newly released detainees from the Intelligence Branch 215, Brigadier General Hasan Daboul, the head of the Branch, ordered to execute all detainees inside the eighth dormitory (housing141 detainees) in the Branch which holds more than eight thousand prisoners. The detainees inside the dormitory were reportedly infected with pneumonic plague, and their jailors ignored the recommendations of the medical committee that suggested treating the infected detainees and improving their detention conditions.

The League’s report pointed out that a mass execution against the sick detainees was carried out at two occasions. The first one was on September 8, 2014 when 117 detainees were executed, while the second one was two days later when 24 detainees were executed. The dead bodies were packed using plastic bags and buried in mass graves in the military area of Najha, an area which includes dozens of other mass graves where more liquidated detainees from the Military Intelligence prisons have been previously buried. Captain Ahmad Haidar, chief warrant officer Alaa al-Ali, chief warrant officer Basel al-Hasan, and warrant officer Khaldoun Jafar in addition to other regime troops from Branch 215 has supervised the executions and burials, according to the report.

The Syrian Human Rights League condemned the systematic criminal behaviour of the Assad regime that violates international conventions of human rights, and held the regime responsible for the safety of all detainees inside its prisons. It also considered those responsible for the horrific massacre of Branch 215 as criminals against humanity who must be tried by the International Courts.



The League urged the international community and international human rights organizations, particularly the International Committee of the Red Cross, to intervene urgently to save the lives of thousands of detainees who face the risk of death on a daily basis. Furthermore, it demanded the United Nations Security Council to refer the Syrian file to the International Criminal Court as soon as possible to stop the Assad regime from killing more of the Syrian people.