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Assad Regime's Atrocities.. "Sunday Times": Syrian Families Fall Victim to Terrifying Spy Network
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Security apparatus operations reveal a model similar to East Germany's Stasi, with special focus on recruiting informants and forcing detainees to provide information

The British "Sunday Times" detailed horrific findings from intelligence files discovered in four security branches in Homs. The documents revealed a security system deeply embedded in Syrian society that forced citizens to spy on their relatives, neighbors, and friends.
Analysis of thousands of pages showed teachers reporting their students, while those accused of betrayal faced torture and death. The newspaper highlighted similarities between the Syrian security system and the former East German Stasi, with surveillance penetrating individual families.
The records reveal security agencies maintained an extensive informant network, hacking suspects' phones and monitoring personal relationships. Documents indicated children as young as 12 were tried for "insulting the regime," including one case of a child prosecuted for tearing up a former president's picture.
The records showed competition between security agencies to recruit the best informants, with mutual suspicion about agents' dual loyalties. Security officers attempted to destroy these records by burning documents, but the regime's rapid collapse on December 7 prevented complete destruction.
The files documented the use of torture to extract confessions and names of alleged collaborators, with detailed descriptions of torture tools, including electric shock devices. The newspaper noted that documents were published with changed names, dates, and locations to preserve judicial accountability efforts.
Levant-Agencies
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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