A report by Amnesty International says nearly 18,000 people have died in government custody in Syria between 2011 and 2015.
The rights group says its document includes interviews with 65 “torture survivors”, who have described appalling abuse such as beatings and rapes in jails and detention centres.
According to some detainees, these forms of abuse served as welcome parties into the jail. New detainees especially women were subjected to security checks, which usually involved women being sexually assaulted by male guards.