Syria Special: Torture, Intimidation Used to Deter Protests
Syrian soldiers appear to be beating prisoners in a bus. We haven't received a full translation yet, but it appears that the soldiers are forcing these people to chant pro-Assad slogans:
UPDATE: 2011-08-19, 1900 GMT: Al Jazeera posts this translation with additional details:
Activists say the prisoners on the bus were arrested in Hama on July 29, just two days before the military assault on the city.
Men believed to be shabiha thugs dressed in military uniforms beat the prisoners, slamming their heads down and pulling their hair while screaming, "God, Syria, Bashar only!" and "With our blood and souls we sacrifice to you Bashar!" The men’s beards suggest they are not regular soldiers, as beards are banned in Syria’s military.
NPR Reports that the tactics of the Syrian regime have become even more extreme. According to the report, Assad's forces are now torturing some detainees to death (audio of the full report):
Aasi River, Bashar al Assad, Hama, Hamza al-Khateeb, Homs, Orentes River, Syria, Torture, bodies