Muhammad Ismail al-Ibrahim

Muhammad Ismail al-Ibrahim is a tiler, and a family man with four children. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Muawiyah School Prison in January 2015 on charges of trafficking tobacco.

In this interview he describes his arrest and detention. He starts by recounting how he was taken to prison without handcuffs or blindfolds, and how he was brought before the investigating judge. 

The witness says that his charge was considered a minor one, which is why the judge settled for asking why he worked in the tobacco trade. Al-Ibrahim answered that he couldn’t find enough work as a tiler, and this forced him to look for other sources of income. The judge then ordered him to descend to the basement.

Al-Ibrahim describes the jailers. He says he couldn’t form a comprehensive idea of their identities because they were replaced in shifts, and because they did not call each other by their real names but rather by reference to their countries of origin (for instance, Yemeni, Tunisian, or Saudi) or by their nicknames (for instance, Abu Urwa, or Abu Qatada). The officials held titles such as Emir of the Hisba, Emir of the Prison, or Judge of the Hisba.

During his tour, al-Ibrahim details the various rooms’ previous uses. 

In the basement, he talks about the daily routines of the prisoners. Most were detained for short periods. He says that the number of prisoners in his cell changed from hour to hour. Sometimes thirty or forty prisoners were crammed into the room, but at other times the number decreased to four or five. As for those with heavier sentences, they were imprisoned in special cells, and it was absolutely forbidden to talk to them.

Al-Ibrahim confirms that ISIS propaganda films were broadcast on large screens in the cells, but says he tried hard not to watch them because of the disturbing material they contained.

He remembers hearing some sounds of torture. Some were the screams of prisoners during interrogation, as they were beaten.

Standing in the kitchen, al-Ibrahim recounts that they were served three meals a day, consisting, for example, of boiled potatoes and eggs, and sometimes jam and other things.

He says that a musty smell of damp filled the place, as it was an underground basement. In front of the small bathroom attached to the cell, he says that washing was allowed and hot water was available. It was also possible to buy cleaning materials such as soap or a loofah (which someone would be responsible for buying from outside). However, the time allocated for showering was short – less than two minutes – so they had to finish quickly to make room for others.

Al-Ibrahim says visits from family members were completely prohibited. He did not notice or know that there were any women in the prison. He also didn’t hear of any escape attempts. Coalition bombing did not directly hit the prison, but did affect its surroundings, as is apparent on the outside walls.

Regarding his treatment, al-Ibrahim said that he was not subjected to extreme torture, since his crime was minor, but there was rough treatment, including punching, harsh pushing and insults such as “heretic”, “infidel”, and others. Before his release, his sentence was limited to three days imprisonment and a fine of 350,000 Syrian pounds (the equivalent of $1600).

Finally, he describes his feelings while detained. He explains how upset and disturbed he felt when he was deprived of his freedom, saying that just entering this place produced an indescribable pain.