Syria Investigating Death of Boy, 13

Syrian officials said Wednesday that they will be investigating the alleged “torture and execution” of a 13-year-old boy after an international outcry. Independent Syrian experts say Hamza el-Khatib had been beaten and subjected to electric shocks during the month he spent in prison following his arrest in Daraa in April. He died after his torturers shot him through both arms, cut off his penis, and finally killed him with a bullet to the head. Footage of his mangled body has caused protesters to take to the streets despite the government’s crackdown; Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he saw Khatib “as his son.” Khatib is one of more than 1,100 people who have been killed by Syrian security officers since protests began in March.