The picture published by the family of the former spokesperson for Jaysh al-Islam (“Army of Islam”), Majdi Nameh, known as Islam Alloush, which depicts great signs of torture that he was subjected to in French prisons, provoked great human rights reactions. Some condemned these acts in countries that respect international law and the rights of detainees, while skeptics called for making sure the picture was real before taking any action.
The official account of the family of Nameh, who is detained in France, published a picture showing the signs of torture their son had been subjected to after his arrest. Nameh appeared in the picture, in a deplorable condition, as a result of severe torture that was apparent on his face. Sources close to his family said that he was subjected to great psychological and physical torture, the effects of which are clear on his body.
Syrian researcher and human rights defender, Radeef Mustafa, said in an interview with Shaam News Network that the case of Alloush is a brutal, medieval crime that disregards all forms of humanity, especially that it happened in France.
He emphasized that “the issue of Nameh’s arrest, and given the charges against him according to his family’s statement, makes us believe that the issue is not related to individual responsibility for a committed crime, but rather to Nameh’s affiliation with a military group, knowing that he was a media spokesperson and therefore, this is an indication that the accusations attributed to Nameh are not plausible.”
Regarding doubts about the authenticity of the photo, Mustafa pointed out that Nameh’s brother confirmed that the published image was obtained from his sibling’s defense lawyer, which means the French authorities are required to clarify the situation. He stressed the need to pressure the French authorities and file a case before the French Public Prosecutor regarding the crime of torture and ill-treatment as well as an investigation into the particulars of the detention, its method, and why the anti-terrorist forces were involved and not the police.
The family’s statement pointed out that they initially believed that the case “as portrayed by the media was related to the disappearance of activist Razan Zeitouneh and her companions,” but they later realized that it was a criminalization case affecting Nameh because of his joining Jaysh al-Islam and recruiting children in addition to other charges that reveal the seriousness of [the accusations against] Nameh and their extension to include everyone who took up arms against Assad.”
The family considered that the lawsuit against Nameh is “malicious and does not aim to pursue the truth, but is rather an attempt to seek revenge,” because it is based on testimonies against Nameh, which the family has seen, and which are solely based on content on social networking sites and rumors that no reasonable person can possibly believe.
The Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression has previously stated that Alloush was arrested in France on charges of committing war crimes, pointing to his arrest on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, after several reports indicated his involvement in war crimes in eastern Ghouta.
Jaysh al-Islam released a statement regarding the incident, in which it was certain that the lawsuits filed by human rights organizations against it aim to “discredit and insult the Syrian revolution factions in order to pressure them to accept the solutions imposed on us by countries under the banner of international classification.”
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
