Syrian rebels claim government holds young children in jails

The Syrian opposition said this Monday that the government is keeping in country’s jails and security buildings children, women and elderly. However the government denies any statement and it says that they hold no minors. The regime also says that the opposition is holding thousands of men.

The peace talks in Switzerland (the first peace talks during the three year Syrian conflict), have reached one of the most important topic for both sides, the exchange of prisoners. The Syrian rebels said that the amount of prisoners detained by the government could surpass 50.000 citizens including 1.000 children.

Rights groups like the New York-based Human Rights Watch said it has received reports from prisoners of children detained in jails, some of them with their mothers. Inhumane conditions for these infants are a big worry.

The Syrian people doesn’t believe in the offer made by the government of president Bashar al-Assad, in which the regime allow women and children to leave the city (Homs) using a safe passage. The reason why Syrians don’t believe in this promise is because there were some people detained (some of the minors) during the evacuation in the Damascus suburbs last year.

“But we cannot trust the regime promises; they will betray any promises they make.” Said Ahmed Abu Loui, a media activist in the city of Homs.

Comment

I personally believe that the Syrian situation is overwhelming. This three year conflict has gone too far. If these peace talks in Switzerland don’t achieve any solution, then the international community should take action in this conflict, because we can´t admit more bloodshed. More than 120.000 people have been killed and 2 million more displaced are the consequences of this civil war. I thought that the use of chemicals weapons over the population was the evilest issue we were going to face, but this situation of the children being held in jails is the limit. They live in inhumane conditions and they are the most vulnerable. It´s enough for a country that has suffered so much, a country that has seen itself reduced to ashes, a country that has destroyed itself due to the war.

Bibliography

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrian-rebels-claim-government-holds-young-children-in-jails-regime-denies-allegation/2014/01/27/7e575252-8787-11e3-a760-a86415d0944d_story.html