Detainees: regime held 62-year-old woman over 'Jihad Marriage' claims

(Zaman Al Wasl)- Aida al-Haj Yousif, a former detainee by the Syrian regime, tells new torture memo about Syrian women prisoners.

Along with fifteen women prisoners, I was referred to the Damascus-based Counter-Terrorism Court in Feb 14, 2016.

We were with hands held to back by an iron chain in a very humiliating manner.

The distance between the police station of Kafr Sousa district in the center of Damascus and the military court in Mazzeh district were not that far, but we were tired of the officers’ insults all along the road.

In the bus, I met Um Ali, originally from Homs city. I used to call her “Grandma” because she was 62-year-old. She was very calm and the wrinkles on her face show the roughness of life.

Um Ali was trying to maintain her strength. When we reached the justice building, an officer was walking among the detainees and gave them harsh insults. He approached Um Ali and said to her loudly “don’t you also want the regime, Hein?” he told her that she’s like the cabaret dancers. He didn’t taking into account her age and till she cried her eyes out.

In the hall of the court, the Judge Samer Eid stopped us all by the side of the wall. Um Ali told the judge what happened with her. Her son was doing his the military service. He told her in the phone that he missing her food, so she wanted to cock him what he like. When she came to his work place, she didn’t find him and the checkpoint commander ordered to arrest her immediately.

Um Ali words did not affect the investigations, which always ignore the tears of innocent mothers.

The judge continued accusing her of Sexual jihad with terrorists. The words were very heavy on the detainees standing on the side of the wall. The whispers began to appear on us, and those who did not control themselves laughed loudly. How can he imagined the Grandma have sexual jihad?

Despite the judge's certainty of her innocence, but decided to arrest her in Adra Central Prison under the charge of criminal silence on her son.

Afterwards, we met in the courtyard of Adra central prison. We talked about the reasons of our detention and the charges against us. Um Ahmed was ashamed; I still remember her face when we discussed the charge.

Zaman Al Wasl