Organ trade covered by Syrian intelligence in Homs

 

(Ma'moon Abu Mohamed; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

Well-informed sources revealed to Zaman al-Wasl that organ trade has been flourishing under cover and participation of Syrian regime in central city of Homs.

The initial reports say the trafficking targeted Syrian detainee and dead of rebel-held areas. Source form the embattled Waer Neighborhood in Homs said Syria's air Intelligence is stealing the organs of dead before being buried in the local cemetery through  a network allied with.

Sources told Zaman al-Wasl that bodies delivered by security were without organs before burying them in Tal Naser graveyard.

 

The source mentioned that huge network facilitate stealing and trading human organs, and its led by high ranked officers of the regime’s intelligence. 

Families of thousands of torture victims in security chambers have not seen the bodies of their sons. Human rights activists say regime is likely the main trafficker in war-torn country since the uprising erupted in March 2011.

Eye-witnesses reported that funeral association in Homs was the cover for transferring dead people to Damascus instead of burying them in Tal Naser graveyard, and give the dead person’s parents the number of his grave and receive a payment of 20 thousand Syrian pounds, because the Syrian regime prevented burial ceremonies after the revolution.

Abdul Kader Hasan, Head of the Medical Association in Homs reported that 5 doctors were stripped off their registrations with the association because of their relations to network for trading human organs.

Sources mentioned that many public and private hospitals are involved and deals with human organs trading network as they have staff experience in transferring and storing donated "stolen" organs. Those doctors are reported to be from Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Syria. Stolen human organs are reported to be transferred to Europe, America, Russia and even Israel.

The Head of Forensic Medicine in Damascus University estimated the number of cases of stolen organs in Northern Syria had reached to almost 18 thousand cases in 2014 only, most of them from children.

One of medical staff worked in a hospital in Damascus, he is now in Turkey, confirmed that human organs’ trade is flourished in Syria since 2012 especially in Damascus. He confirmed that movement of the network’s members are very easy around the country because they have official permissions from high level authorities.

Burying in Tal Naser graveyard had stopped in 2012 after controlling the surrounding neighborhoods by the opposition.

The graveyard witnessed a massacre on 27th May 2011 when the regime forces indiscriminately shot people during funeral.

Tal Naser graveyard was founded in 1991 and the former Minister of Awqaf, Abdul majid Tarabulsi was one of first people to be buried in it.