Amnesty International said today:
“We have seen that reports have been aired on Syrian TV suggesting that Zainab al-Hosni is alive. We are currently looking into this case, working with trusted sources.”
“This has clearly raised questions over the information that Amnesty International released on 23 September about the death of Zainab al-Hosni and the discovery of a body at Homs Military Hospital. That statement was based on information provided by sources close to the incident itself, who passed Amnesty International video footage of a dismembered body. If the body was not that of Zainab al-Hosni, then clearly the Syrian authorities need to disclose whose it was, the cause and circumstances of the death, and why Zainab al-Hosni’s family were informed that she was the victim.”
“We are working to establish the exact circumstances of this case and to clarify the situation of Zainab herself. As ever this task is made more difficult by the fact that we – like other human rights organizations – have been unable to access Syria, despite our repeated requests to the government, to fully investigate cases like these. We will release more comprehensive information as soon as we are able; the situation is far from clear at this stage.”