Syria: Amnesty International deplores torture, persecution in rebel-held areas
July 06, 2016
Amnesty International has published a report on abductions, torture, and killings in areas controlled by Syrian rebel groups.
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The report, issued on July 5, offers “a rare glimpse of what life is really like in areas under the control of armed opposition groups,” according to the organization. “Some of them are believed to have the support of governments such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the USA despite evidence that they are committing violations of international humanitarian law.”
Discussing the persecution of Christians, the report stated:
[S]everal Christian residents of Aleppo and Idleb governorates have faced abductions and other abuses on account of their religion. Three activists and two priests interviewed by Amnesty International said that Jabhat al-Nusra and the Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement had destroyed churches and carried out abductions of Christians in Idleb. They added that some Christian families had been forced either to convert or to leave the governorate … Jabhat al-Nusra in Idleb has also targeted Christians for abduction, confiscated their homes and stolen their belongings.
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Further information:
- Syria: Abductions, torture and summary killings at the hands of armed groups (Amnesty International)
- Full text of report (Amnesty International)
- Pope Francis: pray, work for peace in Syria (CWN, 7/5)
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