Thu 11 Apr 2019:
Interview with Khalil Dewan
TRTWORLD’s Research Center report ‘No one hears us: Torture of Women in Syria’s Dungeons’ documents how 14 former female detainees were tortured between 2011 and 2016. The testimonies documented appear to have violated both International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law. Khalil Dewan, from TRT Research Centre, is talking about this.
The report ‘No one hears us’ documents the horrific torture of women in Syria’s dungeons as part of a deliberate strategy employed by the Syrian regime. In light of these crimes against humanity, the TRT World Research Centre calls for an impartial investigation into the use of systemic torture and gender based violence.
TRT World Research Centre’s investigation presents evidence that the Syrian regime has systematically employed the use of sexual violence and rape as a stratagem of war. The report ‘No one hears us’: Torture of Women in Syria’s Dungeons documents testimonies of 14 former female detainees who were tortured between 2011 and 2016.
Women have been one of the primary targets in the onslaught against Syria’s population. As part of a deliberate strategy employed by the regime, women have faced systematic sexual harassment, unlawful touching with sexual intent, rape, beatings and extrajudicial killings.
Psychological torture has been used against female detainees, including forcing them to listen to torture of family members and prolonged solitary confinement. Torture and abuse are used as a tool to weaken women, place fear in their hearts and extract confessions for allegedly colluding with opposition groups and anti-government protests. The abuses documented via the testimonies of former detainees appear to have violated both International Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
It is clear that the Syrian regime is committing crimes against humanity and therefore the TRT World Research Centre calls for an impartial investigation into the incessant sexual violence and horrific torture methods.
Download the Report here:no-one-hears-us
Khalil Dewan: Researcher
Khalil Dewan is a Researcher at TRT World’s Research Centre. His work focuses on the laws of war, counterterrorism and conflict related investigations. Prior to this, Dewan worked with IHS Markit’s Middle East and North Africa Country Risk division in the United Kingdom, where he was responsible to capture political and security risk intelligence on the Qatar-Gulf Crisis and provide monthly briefings on the Yemen civil war. With over seven years experience, he has been consulted as a specialist researcher and consultant by NATO – The Counter Improvised Explosive Devices Centre of Excellence (C-IED COE), US Military Commission Legal Counsel, Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), Rights Watch UK and other human rights organisations. Issues include: US & UK counter terrorism measures, international law, armed groups and asymmetric warfare. Dewan graduated in LL.B Law (Hons.) and earned his LL.M in International Law from SOAS, University of London with a thesis focusing on the legality of US drone strikes outside the context of armed conflict in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. He was invited by U.K. Parliament in 2017 to submit evidence to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Drones based on his fieldwork.
