A/HRC/22/59 capacities, at official detention centres. The doctor of one of the interviewees who sought medical treatment also provided a statement. 7. Questions asked during interrogations strongly suggested that, in the majority of cases, interviewees had been targeted for arrest. One man, a bread seller from a northern governorate, was interrogated about supplying bread to anti-Government armed groups. Other interviewees were questioned specifically about providing fuel or medical aid to the armed groups. Three interviewees, two of whom were children, stated they had been taken off the street after participating in demonstrations. One interviewee was a member of the Syrian army who had been accused of sympathising with the opposition by fellow soldiers. In only three cases was it unclear why the interviewees had been arrested, though later questioning suggested that the interrogating intelligence agency believed that they were members of anti-Government armed groups or that they were assisting these groups. 8. According to those interviewed, interrogations were carried out under the auspices of Syria’s four principal intelligence agencies: Military Intelligence, Air Force Intelligence, Political Security Directorate and the General Security Directorate. All four have central offices in Damascus as well as a network of regional, city and local sub-offices across the country. The majority of those interviewed indicated that they had been interrogated by members of Military and/or the Political Security Directorate. Interviews emanating from Aleppo governorate, however, referred most often to Air Force Intelligence. 9. Several interviewees could not, however, confirm which agencies conducted the interrogations and, in some instances, the precise location of their interrogations. Reported reasons for this included being blindfolded during transport into detention facilities, being blindfolded during interrogations, being transferred among different facilities and undergoing multiple interrogations. 10. A further five of those interviewed reported that they were also held for short periods in unofficial detention facilities, such as schools or shops, as a prelude to being transferred to an official centre. While held in unofficial centres, interviewees reported abuse by members of the army and by local Shabbiha. 11. In eleven cases, interviewees stated that they have been assaulted or had witnessed the assault of others at army-run checkpoints. Two others had been abused inside military barracks. A further ten interviewees described their or their family members being beaten or otherwise assaulted during house searches. 12. Few of those arrested in house searches were taken to official detention centres. Indeed, in seven of ten cases where assaults were reported in the context of house searches by Government forces and Shabbiha, interviewees stated that execution of the victim (or victims) took place shortly afterwards. 13. Due to a continued lack of access, it has not been possible to visit detention centres to interview detainees, those responsible for the detention centres or to observe detention conditions. A. Reports of torture and other forms of ill-treatment taking place in official detention centres 14. Many of the interviewees who reported torture and other forms of ill-treatment in official detention centres were detained in intelligence agencies in Damascus and Aleppo governorates. Several interviewees were tortured in Damascus’ Military Security Branch 235, also known as the ‘Palestine branch’. Six of the eight interviewees speaking about torture in Aleppo governorate indicated that their relatives had suffered abuse at the Air Force Intelligence building inside the Al-Zahra complex in Aleppo City. 68 GE.13-10627