LONDON - Deaths in Syrian prisons and police detention have soared in recent months as President Bashar Assad's government tries to crush protests against his rule, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.The London-based human rights group said it had details of at least 88 people believed to have died in detention between April and mid-August.At least 52 of them had apparently suffered some form of torture that was likely to have contributed to their death.This was a huge increase in abuse over that previously reported in the country, Amnesty said. Before the uprising, its researchers typically recorded around five deaths per year in custody.
(photo credit: The Jerusalem Post)