An Al-Jazeera journalist who has returned to Qatar after being held in Syria and Iran said she could hear beatings "almost around the clock" in her Syrian jail.
Dorothy Parvaz, a 39-year-old journalist with Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television, was detained in Syria where she had been sent to cover anti-regime protests late in April.
"I was in a Syrian detention center for three days, two nights, and what I heard were just savage beatings," she said.
"I didn't know what these men had done. One agent said these men were responsible for murders near or in Deraa, but of course there's no way of knowing because I don't see a court system there, I don't see anything happening, all I hear is men being beaten to within an inch of their lives, crying out, being locked up in cell blocks."
Syrian authorities later expelled Parvaz, who has American, Canadian and Iranian citizenship, to Iran.
Iranian authorities released her on May 18 and she returned safely to Qatar.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera upon returning Parvaz said she was treated well while in detention in Iran.
Reuters
Dorothy Parvaz, a 39-year-old journalist with Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television, was detained in Syria where she had been sent to cover anti-regime protests late in April.
"I was in a Syrian detention center for three days, two nights, and what I heard were just savage beatings," she said.
"I didn't know what these men had done. One agent said these men were responsible for murders near or in Deraa, but of course there's no way of knowing because I don't see a court system there, I don't see anything happening, all I hear is men being beaten to within an inch of their lives, crying out, being locked up in cell blocks."
Syrian authorities later expelled Parvaz, who has American, Canadian and Iranian citizenship, to Iran.
Iranian authorities released her on May 18 and she returned safely to Qatar.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera upon returning Parvaz said she was treated well while in detention in Iran.
Reuters