Syria former prison guard – ‘I showed them no mercy’

The BBC heard from dozens of former officials about their role enforcing the brutality of the Assad regime.
Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveSyria former prison guard – 'I showed them no mercy'Dozens of former officials have spoken to the BBC about their role enforcing the brutality of the Assad regime – including a man who said he tortured detainees, then defected in 2012.
The rare first-hand testimony forms part of a BBC investigation into Syria's notorious prisons under its former president, Bashar al-Assad, who was overthrown last December.
A UN report earlier this year said detentions and torture under the former regime constitute crimes against humanity.
Syrian human rights groups estimate that around 100,000 people disappeared under Assad's 24-year rule.
The BBC agreed to conceal the identities of the former regime officials it spoke to on account of the value of their testimonies.
https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c78034xn2jpo
Rating: 5