Syria

Injured Protesters Abused in Hospitals

Human-rights groups back up claims.

Syrian protesters are accusing medical workers of abusing and neglecting those who have been protesting against the regime. One man saw a doctor slap a wounded patient, and hospital personnel claimed that medical ethics did not require them to treat traitors. Protesters also say security forces have been abusing the wounded by taking the injured from hospital wards when they need treatment and taking the bodies of protesters to prevent funerals. An Amnesty International report described similar abuses in July. One activist said, “There is clear evidence that the regime is using a specific strategy of attacking the injured, attacking hospitals, kidnapping bodies, and preventing bodies from being buried with dignity."