ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - At least 61 civilians died under torture in Syrian prisons over the past 12 months, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), which described the deaths as part of ongoing and serious human rights violations perpetrated by the new authorities in Damascus.

In a report released on Thursday, SOHR said the continued deaths in detention reflect the absence of legal protection for civilians and underline the urgent need for international action to stop abuses inside prisons.

The UK-based monitoring group said it documented cases throughout 2025 in which civilians died after being subjected to torture while held in detention facilities across different parts of Syria, with detainees being exposed to harsh conditions that led to their deaths, calling the cases evidence of persistent violations of human life and dignity.

According to SOHR’s figures, eight civilians died under torture in January, followed by 13 deaths in February, four in March, and six in April. The group recorded two civilian deaths in May, three in June, and nine in July. In August, the toll rose to 10 deaths, while three civilians died in September and another three in October.

“These figures highlight the urgent need to strengthen international monitoring mechanisms and increase pressure on all parties to protect civilians and end torture and violence inside prisons,” SOHR said.

The group warned that failure to take decisive action places civilians at constant risk and undermines justice and human rights in Syria.

SOHR called on international bodies to open immediate investigations into cases of torture and deaths in custody and to hold those responsible accountable. It also urged guarantees for detainees’ rights, including fair trials and an end to cruel or degrading treatment.

Since the ascenscion to power of current President Ahmed al-Sharaa in December 2024, Syria has on numerous occasions seen episodes of violence that pitted the state forces against ethnic and religious minorities to include Kurds, Alawites, and the Druze.

The Sharaa government inherited the Syria of Bashar al-Assad's extensive network of shadowy detention and torture facilities, many of which were unveiled by international organizations following his fall.

One UN report from January 2025 detailed harrowing accounts of "abuse, including severe beatings, electric shocks, rape, mutilation and prolonged psychological and physical torture" at these facilities.