Amir Ali al-Asghar

Amir Ali al-Asghar, a resident of Mosul, is married with one daughter. In his testimony, he recounts how ISIS raided his house, arresting him and almost all of his relatives – around 35 men and women – because ISIS considered them to be Shia Muslims. They were taken to the Ahdath Prison at midnight.

Amir is not sure which prison the women were taken to. He later learned that they were given veils to cover their faces, in addition to being blindfolded, before being summoned before the judge. They were not allowed to speak; only the judge spoke. He threatened to kill them in their homes if the charges brought against them were proven. Amir says that the women were not subjected to physical torture or harassment, but were insulted and humiliated for being Shia.

Amir estimates that around 200 inmates were crammed into the 400-square-meter group cell that he found himself in. Most had been arrested because of their ethno-religious identities. They belonged to different minorities; some were Kurds, some were from the Shabak community, and others were Shia. There was also one Christian man, whose charge was unknown. The jailers forced him to “convert” and pray the Islamic prayers. Other people were charged with sodomy or “being tolerant of their wives’ lack of chastity.” Inmates feared the presence of ISIS informants among them, so they always spoke in low voices.

Amir recounts the torture methods used. Jailers would take prisoners on foot to be tortured, then drag them back to the cell with swollen feet, barely able to walk. Sometimes they would carry them back in a blanket and throw them into the cell. However, he does not recall anyone dying because of torture.

According to what Amir heard, those who were removed from the cell after midnight were actually taken to Khasfa — a well-known sinkhole — to be executed. After he was released, Amir says he went to Khasfa and saw the sinkhole for himself. He believes it was most probably a mass grave.

Amir adds that those who were transferred to a solitary cell had told him they were forced to squat there while ISIS jailers tortured them. Sometimes the jailers threw sound bombs inside to terrorize them. Amir thinks that there was most probably no women’s section in the prison – at least not during his detention.

Regarding food, Amir recounts that for dinner they received ready-made meals from outside the prison, consisting generally of rice. However, one portion was shared between two or more inmates, so the amount was not sufficient. For breakfast and dinner, they either had bread and a piece of cheese or lentil soup.

Regarding hygiene and health care, Amir says that the toilets and bathrooms were extremely filthy, and that apart from two bars of soap, cleaning products and hot water were not provided. Nevertheless, the prisoners organized a schedule among themselves to clean their space. There were no doctors or nurses. ISIS jailers even neglected those who had chronic diseases, telling prisoners to “Let them perish!”

Amir then narrates the story of his release. One day after morning prayers, the prison was targeted by an airstrike that destroyed one of the group cells, killing more than 90 prisoners, including some of Amir’s relatives. Six ISIS members were said to have been killed too. Yet Amir’s group cell was not hit. The guards, who appeared to be terrified, transferred them to the Dar al-Diyafa Prison. There, each one of them was summoned blindfolded to the judge, who wanted to confirm if they were really Shia.

The judge ordered Amir to perform his ablutions, recite the call to prayer, and then pray. Amir says he complied, following the Sunni method. In addition, it appeared that ISIS had already investigated him and his family in their neighborhood, where people had protected and supported them by denying that they were Shia. Some had even come to the prison to intercede on their behalf. Consequently, the judge had no choice but to acquit them, even though he was still skeptical. He still threatened to blow up their homes if it was later proven they were Shia.

Eventually, Amir and his family were released. ISIS did not return any of the money or jewelry they had taken, nor did they give back Amir and his family’s identity documents, despite Amir’s appeals. Amir recounts the fear of being surveilled after they had been released. They were too terrified to even dare escaping. When it became certain they were no longer being watched, he and his family fled to Syria, and subsequently to Turkey. 

Finally, Amir describes the psychological impact of the experience on himself and his family, particularly on the children. They were all affected by a disturbing state of paranoia. It took them two months after their release to begin to feel some peace of mind. Despite Mosul returning to normal life, Amir speaks of the psychological scars they carry, which have profoundly changed their lives.