Wednesday, April 21, 2010

YASA – NGO shadow report for the review of the Syrian Arab Republic under the UN convention against torture (CAT)


YASA


A former Kurdish prisoner in Syria described torture in the prison as follow “they were four men who tortured me. They beat me with a whip, with a woodblock, with their feet and hands. They beat me everywhere and so hard on my head, my ears and eyes, on my back, my legs and everywhere until I reached the point of not feeling any pain… then everything became dark“.

About YASA:

YASA is a non-governmental and non-profit organization working to promote and advance human rights to Kurds in their country of origin and in the Diaspora. YASA was founded in August 2005, in Bonn – Germany, and works for the interests of Kurds in the areas of human rights, integration and culture.

On the political level, YASA operates through the use of national, regional and international legal instruments and works with government and non-governmental organizations which also promote the implementation of human rights.

Through information events and seminars, YASA promotes cultural tolerance, works toward the integration of Kurds in Europe and supports Kurdish refugees. YASA also focuses on promoting the understanding of the German legal system and the German culture, so that integration into German society can be successful.

Since 2007, YASA has annually organized the Kurdish Poetry Festival and offers language courses to promote the Kurdish culture and language.

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