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Reuters Damascus April 8: A Syrian human rights
group said that seven people have died due to
suspected torture by state interrogators in 2004 — a
charge denied as “utterly baseless” by a security
official.
“Five Kurdish citizens have died due to torture at
security branches during investigations after the
protests that took place in the ... (town) of
Kameshli,” the Human Rights Association of Syria
said yesterday.
The HRAS said two other citizens have died at
“criminal security branches”.
Asked to comment, a security official denied the
HRAS accusation and said the authorities had no
reports of deaths among suspects in the custody of
any security body.
“These claims are utterly baseless and unfounded,”
the official, who did not wish to be identified,
told Reuters.
“There were no deaths under interrogation according
to our figures and reports. The same applies to the
torture allegations.”
Hundreds of Syrian Kurds were arrested last March
during riots and clashes with the police in which
about 30 people, including policemen, were killed.
The riots were triggered by a brawl at a soccer
match in the northern town of Kameshli.
Most of those detained during and after the riots
were freed days after, while the rest were sent for
trial. The President, Mr Bashar Al-Assad issued a
pardon in March freeing all 312 Kurds jailed on
charges of taking part in the violence.
Sources familiar with the government thinking say
the state has been mulling a host of reforms that
are designed to solve what Kurdish activists call
the Kurdish issue, along with implementing other
reforms promised by Assad.
Reuters
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