Syria War
Disappeared in the cellars of the Assad regime
The Assad Regime has since the outbreak of war, hundreds of thousands of citizens to disappear. These kidnappings are an Instrument for the Opposition to intimidate. A German-Syrian in search of his father.
A trip back to the old home was his undoing. As Mohammad Ghouzi after completion of medical studies in his native city of Aleppo in the direction of leaving Germany, it was not yet clear that he just laid the Foundation stone for a new life had settled. Initially, he worked as a surgeon in several German hospitals. He then established a clinic in Wuppertal, Germany, to his six children to Germany to pick up. There, as he wished it, you should have your training. The desire went into fulfilment: Three of his children studied medicine, became a lawyer, another works in a high level of responsibility in a German Bank. And the youngest son went into science.
In the 1990s, during the civil war in the former Yugoslavia, traveled Mohammed Ghuzi to Bosnia, where the war victims medical assistance. He was an avid doctor and was also in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia worked, reported his son Shahid in an interview with DW.
Fatal Longing
Like every Migrant had also Ghouzi longing for the old homeland. So he decided, after
Syria to return to childhood friends, family and relatives to see. In the meantime he had a second Time married. This facilitated the construction of the new existence. Also in Aleppo, he founded a clinic.
In 2012, traveled Ghouzi once again to Germany. The daughter married, and the father wanted to attend the wedding to participate. Back in Aleppo, he was in June of that year by the Syrian secret police arrested and without giving reasons had been taken.
A picture from happy days: Mohammed Ghouzi with one of his sons
An army of “Disappeared”
In this way, was Mohammed Ghuzi in the huge army in the prisons of the regime were arrested – according to estimates by Syrian and international human rights organizations is over 100,000 people. The well-known Syrian lawyer Michel Schamas, however, is of much higher Figures.
In an interview with DW is different Schamas between the three groups of Disappeared and arrested. At the worst, it is to those who are in the prisons of the regime einsäßen. The government of Assad attempts, the dimensions down, and speak of around 50,000 prisoners.
A further group are those in the hands of the armed Opposition. Also some of these associations have committed human rights Violations. Schamas assumes that these associations are around 2000 people in its violence hold. Also, their fate is open.
A third group comprises persons who, during an armed conflict disappeared. You were about to roadblocks kidnapped. Also their whereabouts is unknown.
Torture and mass murder in the prisons
The human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented the ill-treatment of the Disappeared. This uses your zugespielte photos of abused prisoners. For HRW, they are a clear proof that in the prisons of the regime are tortured, the human rights organization is a crime against humanity. Also, she speaks of mass murder and torture in the Syrian prisons.
Also, the human rights organization Amnesty International documents the fate of disappeared citizens. The government let the unpopular people deliberately disappear to the opposition in this way to intimidate. “This systematic practice of enforced disappearance is a
cold calculated attack on the civilian population of Syria, to cause Terror and every contradiction nipped in the Bud. There are crimes against humanity,” said Philip Luther, Director of the program for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.
“Trade with human feelings”
Lawyer Michel Chamas
The
Regime makes people not just disappear. Some of its members also try, the suffering of the relatives take advantage of. You offer the blackmailer, against substantial sums of money alleged information on the whereabouts of the Missing to provide. All of these offers have so far as the fraudulent Tricks proven. Criminals and Regime members drove “trade with human emotions”, describes lawyer Michel Shama’s this practice.
In the meantime, reported to Amnesty International, continue, to have a proper network of people formed their contacts to the authorities abused the members for amounts between several hundred and several tens of thousands of US dollars information on the whereabouts or the death of the Missing to sell. “A man whose three brothers in 2012 were deported, paid a total of US $ 150,000, to provide information about their whereabouts to get, without result. He tries now in Turkey, his debts to work through,” writes Amnesty.
$ 50,000 for a sign of life
He also have a corresponding offer, reports Ammar Ghuzi. A Regime-affiliated Person gave him information about the whereabouts of his father offered. “In return, should I have 50. 000 dollars to pay. 20. 000 in advance and the Rest after receiving the information.” On the advice of experts and Relatives of out have it but the offer is rejected. Everyone had warned him, because such offers could have been, without exception, as untrustworthy proven.
Most of those who have such offerings came from members of the Syrian Secret and security services, says attorney Shama’s in Syria, many of the political prisoners represented. Your alleged data is used alone, the Affected person’s cheat.
Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad
Helpless UN
He had the documentation of the “Disappeared,” the UN special envoy for Syria, Staffan di Misura passed, says Schamas compared to the DW. Also to his predecessor, Kofi Anan, and Alakhdar Brahimi would have the documentation. All three would have on the scope of the crime shocked shown. Happen but nothing.
Amar Ghuzi has to ask for the support of the Foreign office turned. “I explained there that my father is a German national. Therefore, let the Ministry be obliged, appropriate Enquiries should be made. The responsible person said, the case to investigate. But is done here so far, nothing.
Amar Ghuzi in search of his father now on his own. The hope of him living to see, he has not given up.