(By Faris al-Rifai; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)
(Torture Victim Profile)- Captain and military judge Nayef Faisal al-Rifai was arrested on March 22 2012, only few days following his sister’s detention, under accusation of conspiring on the regime.
The Captain was sentenced for 15 years imprisonment, but in 27th April 2014 he was confirmed dead to his family as he died under torture after almost two years of detention.
“He used to help detainees and freed many peaceful demonstrators without taking permission from his higher ranked-officers, which made his subject to suspicion and was put under observation by the regime’s intelligence”, Hannada, his sister told Zaman al-Wasl.
The detained judge’s sister mentioned that members for Kisweh’s intelligence branch attended his house and informed neighbors to contact them, when he contacted the General Prosecutor, he was advised to visit the intelligence branch straight away because the matter was concerned his sister’s arrest, but he was detained the moment he arrived to the branch, which he did not expected.”
“My mother was hardly able to visit him after a year and a half, for only 4 minutes behind a grating under strong control, then we needed another year to be able to visit him again” the sister detailed in pain.
Hannada mentioned that her mother was not able to recognize him when he passed by her, because he was too thin, his teeth broken and hardly could walk, then she told us: “your brother is dying.”
In regard to his suffering inside detention centre, Hannada reported what other detainees told them, as they mentioned that the Captain was put in an individual cell with a lunatic who refused to wear clothes, and they forced his to wrap dead bodies and put then in plastic bags.
“After his wife’s visit on 26th April 2014, Shabiha hit him violently which caused him troubles and bloody vomiting, then he stayed unable to move or eat, the last word he said: they killed me my mother” the sister detailed horrible death circumstances.
Hannada feels sorry for her brother, as she left no way to free him like prisoners’ exchange, or paying money, but she failed even in saving his life.
“He could have saved his life and gone to Jordan when he had been told to go to intelligence branch, but he did not want to leave me alone in prison under the regime’s forces cruelty.”
Hannada reported an incidence when her brother, Judge Rifai wanted to apply justice and fairly judge a lawsuit of physical assault by Shabiha who hit an old man because he overtook their car, then the case was exaggerated because the accused were from the Republican Guards and the victim was only an ordinary civilian, subsequently, his upgrade was ceased from two sessions.
Zaman Al Wasl
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