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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL HAS published a new report which it says has uncovered a “calculated campaign” of civilian executions by the Syrian government over the last five years.
The report – Human Slaughterhouse: Mass hangings and extermination at Saydnaya prison, Syria – claims that, between 2011 and 2015, groups of up to 50 people were taken out of their prison cells and hanged. This would often happen twice a week.
Amnesty estimates that up to 13,000 people, most of them believed to be civilians opposed to the government, have been killed in the prison in the last five years.
They believe that this policy of extermination is authorised at the highest levels of Syrian government, and that inhuman conditions are deliberately inflicted on detainees at the prison.
Amnesty adds that they have “strong reasons” to believe that these executions are still happening today.
A year-long investigation from the group led to the production of this report. It includes first-hand testimony from 84 witnesses that included former prison guards, detainees, judges and lawyers.
It features extensive testimony on the practice of regular hangings.
One military officer at the facility said:
They arrived around 4am and left around 6am. I didn’t see the “execution room”, but I knew it was under me… Then they would bring the coffins – they were wooden – there were 30 or 40 coffins. They would take them and load them. They left with sun rising…
After they left, we could see the slippers [outside the window of the cell]. If there were 30 slippers, then we knew that 15 people had been executed. There were usually between 30 and 80 slippers outside.
Colm O’Gorman, executive director of Amnesty International Ireland, said: “The horrors depicted in this report reveal a hidden, monstrous campaign, authorised at the highest levels of the Syrian government, aimed at crushing any form of dissent within the Syrian population.
“The UN must immediately carry out an independent investigation into the crimes being committed at Saydnaya and demand access for independent monitors to all places of detention.”
Last year, a UN investigation accused Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad’s government of a policy of “extermination” in its jails.
You can view the report here.
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This is great news, however if anything happens to the birds we need to full force of the law with the largest possible fines levied on any fool that poisons or shoots them.,
Well don’t be angry if they start picking off slow children
Exactly what I was about to say Barry, couldn’t agree more.
Incredible news, delighted. Magnificent creatures.
Can we reintroduce brown bears and wolves?
Its hard to believe how recently bears were here. Uptill sometime before 1000AD by some accounts.
Would love to see wolves back so much but we really don’t have the habitat for them anymore. Scotland does but can’t see them going for it. Recent coverage on TV of the Yellowstone reintroduction was fascinating. Wild habitats really need apex predators, everything benefits (unless you’re an elk reading this).
PS the last Irish wolf was only killed in 1786.
Great to read this. Hopefully more will also set up nests. A piece of good news for a change :-)
everything crossed that this works! magnificent creatures!
Exactly Barry !
How long before there is the inevitable news story about the birds being shot or poisoned?
In fairness to the people of Clare these birds have been around for a while and by all accounts the locals are delighted with them. Those who oppose reintroduction in this country are very much in the minority so fingers crossed they’ll continue to thrive.
I hope we all feel the same and are happy that these great creatures are here, and not some idiots kill them because they’re “competition” for food
Here is a case of developing a national asset (for long term tourism) while helping the environment. Double win. Lets hope there is more projects like this.
Fantastic news, these are magnificent birds and deserve all the help and protection we can give them. Lets hope this pair are successful and maybe next year there will be additional pairings in other parts of the country.
Great news,at last,a good news story for these fantastic birds
Great news ….but will someone tell them they’re also known as sea eagles and get them to feck off out to sea! It’s hard enough to get a trout out of Lough Derg at the best of times without having to keep an eye out over your shoulder!!
I would have thought losing a trout to an eagle was an honour….
My cat was nearly dinner for a red kite, does that count?? :-D
Yeah red kites are largely non predatory carrion birds. I know you’re joking and all but it’s important not to let myths of what birds of prey eat persist. If you have a pet earthworm you may want to keep him in though…
I am joking, but I dunno about that, I regularly (3 times in the past month anyway) see red kites taking shots at crows – serious air battles, to be honest I’m amazed at how well the crows handle themselves, I’ve yet to see a Kite actually take a crow from the air, but the last couple of battles I saw went on for about 5 minutes each before the crows pulled off some top gun manoeuvres to get away from the kites. Amazing birds (crows and kites).
Crows harass all birds of prey, it’s in their nature and yup, battles can be spectacular, specially in breeding season as kites are defending territory. If you’re seeing a lot of this behaviour you may have a nest nearby. Golden Eagle Trust are always looking for details of sightings on their website, specially at this time as they need to identify nest sites for tagging. if you can give them GPS all the better but don’t go looking for the nest itself as you may disturb them. Here’s a link:
http://www.goldeneagle.ie/portal.php?z=129
Awesome! but I’m in Sweden :-D
Ha! But also yay for multinational kites!
no comments?
Check out our video of the Eagles on Lough Derg on clarevirtually.ie facebook page
Great news. Been lucky enough to photograph them up close in Norway (with an authorised guide) and its something else. Hope that seeing them here becomes as common. Nothin like seeing a flying barn door over the mountains.
It’s an awful shame that so many of our indigenous fauna have gone extinct for one reason or another.
In the case of the wolves I would love to see an animal that’s supposed to be here be reintroduced but I think there would substantial opposition to that and really, it would be hard to argue in favour of it considering it would be adding a potentially dangerous animal into the Irish landscape.
Cant see that Eoin, where zactly is it?
This is brilliant news for everyone in Co. Clare and also Tipperary. There will also be a huge boost for the tourism providers around Mountshannon as people will travel from all over the world to see these chicks. Preparations are already being made for the huge influx of people that these eagle chicks will attract. Anybody who wants can view the eagles with binoculars or telescopes but only from the pier in Mountshannon. There is a 250 metre exclusion zone around the whole island and boat captains are requested to respect this. Otherwise come and join in the celebrations as the locals welcome our newest and most welcome residents. Check out what’s available for visitors to Mountshannon on youtu.be/v9xHDCYrGI
Apologies the link on my comment is wrong. Here is the correct one.
youtu.be/v9xeHDCYrGI
Hope they don’t stray into Donegal
Fantastic news
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