'As a computer geek who had never even been spanked by his parents, or been in a fist fight, Akram was known as a gentle boy who was "homely" (baytuti). The only reason he had been arrested was because he had liked a social media post criticizing the Assad régime. The power cable swooshed through the air, and landed on his skin like a hornet bite. It took his breath away, at first shocked him into an involuntary, bestial scream, followed by the excruciating pain a second later. "You want freedom, right ?!" yelled the torturer sardonically, as he whipped him again, using his full force, "here's your freedom!" Blood flowed down Akram's tender back and legs and dripped on the dirty cement floor. He remained at the Air Force Intelligence branch at Mezze military airport for three months, a stay which change his life forever.' [p1]
'Former detainees such as him suffer from a certain speechlessness, as the violence they suffered was literally unspeakable and they remain at a loss for words.'[p31]
'Inserting solid tools in the anus. Touching women's genitals. Complete stripping during inspection, interrogation, or torture. Tying the penis to prevent a detainee from peeing. These were methods of torture observed in the Palestine branch.'
[p46]
‘The year 1983, saw the start of a more relaxed treatment. It was – as we later found out – a plan to extort money from the prisoners’ families. An impromptu mini-market was opened in the prison selling tea, some vegetables and stolen clothes. During their visits, parents brought money and other items to their sons. The Prison Director confiscated 90% of them, and put them in the mini market for Abu Awad to sell to prisoners at exorbitant prices. Money was manipulated out of the prisoners by all means, but at least people experienced a level of comfort.
Some of the beatings and torture were lifted. We were also able to raise our heads and open our eyes during “breathing” and in front of the police. You were able to laugh if we couldn’t hold it, which was forbidden before.
The friction happened between the pillars of the régime. This resulted in the overthrow of the prison administration, which was replaced by a new administration eagerly seeking revenge. They became more creative in modes of torment than before. The frequent beatings, the lack of food, the abundance of everything that disturbed daily life were back.’
[p199]
‘Treatment in Saydnaya was unfair and devoid of any constraints. Torture came from a justifying mentality by Military Police, on the basis they were dealing with “traitors”. From the onset they ask about the level of education among detainees; those educated received more intense torture. I told them I was a tailor to protect myself from the increased dose of torture, as happened with doctors, engineers, and other academics.’
[p214]
‘The detainees imprisoned on charges of Communism were moved to the second floor after a message they were trying to smuggle out was caught. It described the policemen as “bats of darkness” and us, the Islamists, as “comrades of the struggle”.’
[p218]
‘There was now a prison emir from the al-Qaeda group running his group’s affairs. A more militant current of al-Qaeda was born in prison, whose members later joined the Islamic State. It was this group that took control of the ground floor of the prison in the final confrontation. That group considered everyone infidels, even Salafi-jihadists and Al-Qaeda. The third group of the prisoners were the open-minded Salafists. They too had different factions that considered the others as infidels. The fourth group of the prisoners were the rest of the detainees, held on democratic backgrounds, or under espionage or political charges.’
[p232]
‘ “Seven or eight soldiers would enter the dormitory and take us one by one to the wheel.” These rounds of torture killed at least one or two detainees on every wing. “The death of any of us did not inflict sadness or grief. Our death was a joy of salvation for us, and at the same time our colleagues were happy to share our food. Saydnaya killed humanity within us and turned us into a different type of human beings.” ‘
[p245]
‘Some had nothing to do with the revolution but were kidnapped for ransom money, or were taken hostage in place of their relatives fighting in the Free Syrian Army. Some were forced to record televised testimonies confirming the régime’s version that the revolution was an armed act of Islamic extremists. After that they negotiated with their families for their release in exchange for large sums of money.’
[p292]
‘The Mukhabarat have been extorting Syrian society for decades, for example in setting up checkpoints or soliciting bribes for various economic activities. This extractive and parasitic attitude toward Syrian society manifests itself especially in the Gulag. As the father of one Syrian detainee said: “Detention is expensive. If you have a detainee [in your family] it means the same officers who are responsible for your pain enjoy your money.” ‘
[p315]
