Informed sources in the Syrian capital, Damascus, have reported that Hammam Waleed Ruqiyah, a student, was arrested from his town, Jayrud, in a rural province in Damascus three months ago. His family did not know his fate or the reason for his detention. However, they were contacted by the security authorities last week (Thursday October 28, 2010) and were asked to come and receive their son's corpse on October 30, 2020. No reason was given for his death, and security officers gave firm and severe warnings that no kind of mourning was to be held for him.
 
Hammam Waleed Ruqiyah had passed his secondary vocational school exams with distinction this year, and was accepted into the Mechanical Engineering Faculty of Aleppo University.

The Syrian Human Rights Committee (SHRC) condemns the use of torture leading to death that is practiced repeatedly and routinely by the Syrian Security Intelligence, and calls for an investigation into the death of Hammam Waleed Ruqiyah. SHRC also holds the authorities that detained Hammam, responsible for the crime of death under torture and calls for their trial at court.
 
SHRC calls upon all human rights activists and civil society on both a local and global level to work for the condemnation of this brutal incident.

SHRC offers its sincere condolences to the family of the torture victim, Hamman Waleed Ruqiyah.

Syrian Human Rights Committee
 November 2, 2010