The State Department believes the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has "installed a crematorium at Sednaya prison, to dispose of bodies," said Stu Jones, America's top diplomat for the Middle East. Jones disclosed the newly declassified information at a press conference Monday.
The State Department said that as many as 50 prisoners are being hung daily at the military prison, located just outside the Syrian capital of Damascus, where thousands have been detained during the country's ongoing civil war. The crematorium is thought to be used to obfuscate the scale of the killings.
Article continues belowThe Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.