The Washington Institute: Assad regime Officers extort detainees’ relatives to collect money

The Washington Institute: Assad regime Officers extort detainees’ relatives to collect money

The “Washington Institute” said in a report, that officers and members of the Assad regime are extorting civilians, and they are working to collect money through those who seek to know the fate of their children and relatives in prison.

The institute added that the security services of the Assad regime are forcing the people to pay bribes in exchange for the right to visit or to obtain the release of their loved ones,
especially in light of the ongoing war in the country and the collapsing economy .

The institute explained that the fees for visiting or releasing a detainee usually amount to a few thousand dollars or less for families inside Syria, while the amount increases for families outside the country to about 30 thousand dollars, stressing that the Assad regime forces are the main body responsible for these types of arrests.

It stressed that these unethical practices occur on a daily basis, as officers and elements of the Assad regime exploit the need for families to know the fate of their loved ones, by complicating the release of detainees in order to obtain money.

The institute also explained that the security services of the Assad regime do not inform the families of the whereabouts of their sons, as families are forced to go and search for someone they know in the intelligence community or search for someone who might take money in exchange for the family to obtain information about their son’s whereabouts.

The institute stated that knowing the fate of a person for committing a minor crime costs families between 20 and 100 dollars, while the amount rises if the family wants to release their son to 20 thousand dollars and may reach 40 thousand dollars, especially if the arrest is for political reasons. Extortion is witnessing its highest levels ever, and the Coronavirus pandemic has not made any change, slowdown or increase in it.

Source: Agencies

The institute added that the security services of the Assad regime are forcing the people to pay bribes in exchange for the right to visit or to obtain the release of their loved ones,
especially in light of the ongoing war in the country and the collapsing economy .

The institute explained that the fees for visiting or releasing a detainee usually amount to a few thousand dollars or less for families inside Syria, while the amount increases for families outside the country to about 30 thousand dollars, stressing that the Assad regime forces are the main body responsible for these types of arrests.

It stressed that these unethical practices occur on a daily basis, as officers and elements of the Assad regime exploit the need for families to know the fate of their loved ones, by complicating the release of detainees in order to obtain money.

The institute also explained that the security services of the Assad regime do not inform the families of the whereabouts of their sons, as families are forced to go and search for someone they know in the intelligence community or search for someone who might take money in exchange for the family to obtain information about their son’s whereabouts.

The institute stated that knowing the fate of a person for committing a minor crime costs families between 20 and 100 dollars, while the amount rises if the family wants to release their son to 20 thousand dollars and may reach 40 thousand dollars, especially if the arrest is for political reasons. Extortion is witnessing its highest levels ever, and the Coronavirus pandemic has not made any change, slowdown or increase in it.

Source: Agencies