Wounded anti-government protesters in Syria, are being subjected to torture and abuse whilst being admitted to state-run hospitals, according to a report released by Amnesty International on Tuesday.
Accusing the Syrian government of using the hospitals as "instruments of repression", the humans rights group allege that within the climate of fear, medical staff, nurses and security officials have been threatened into facilitating, or at times, perpetrating the physical and verbal abuse of patients.
The abuses are alleged to have taken place at four state-run hospitals in Banias, Homs and Tell Kalakh.
Amnesty's Middle East researcher, Cilina Nasser, said,
"It is deeply alarming that the Syrian authorities seem to have given security forces a free rein in hospitals and that in many cases hospital staff appear to have taken part in torture and ill treatment of the very people they are supposed to care for,"
"Given the scale and seriousness of the injuries being sustained by people across the country, it is disturbing to find that many consider it safer to risk not having major wounds treated rather than going to proper medical facilities,"
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"Syrian medical workers are being placed in an impossible situation – forced to choose between treating wounded people and preserving their own safety. The Syrian authorities must see sense and urgently act to ensure that all patients are treated equally, without discrimination based on their suspected political loyalties or activities."