A/HRC/22/59 A. Sexual violence committed during house searches and at checkpoints 6. An FSA fighter stated that he and other fighters searched houses that had been invaded by Government security forces in Damascus after a ground operation in July 2012. They believed that “Shabbiha” had raided houses once the operation had concluded. In one house they found three dead bodies and one 17 year old girl who was alive and had been shot in the leg. Her head scarf had been removed and she was naked from the waist down. She survived the attack and remains living in Syria. 7. A woman from Homs described a ground invasion by the army and Shabbiha in October 2012. During house searches, “six or seven Shabbiha” enter her neighbour’s house. She then heard her female neighbour screaming, “They’re raping me. Someone help me.” She also heard the woman’s 14 year old son scream, “Stop raping my mother.” 8. A young woman from Dara’a described “Shabbiha and security forces” invading her town on 22 November. Between twenty and thirty soldiers and Shabbiha — who she knew by name and who she described as “Shi’as” from her village — entered her house looking for the men. Her aunt, three female cousins, and three sister-in-laws were in the house, while the men were hiding in the basement. They beat the elderly aunt when she told them the men were in Lebanon. One of the Shabbiha took two of her cousins upstairs to a separate room and locked the door while the others stayed downstairs. After the Shabbiha left, the two stated that they had been beaten, but she noticed the cousins couldn’t walk properly afterwards and couldn’t explain why they were separated from the rest if they had only been beaten. B. Sexual violence in detention centres 9. A former worker at Air Force Intelligence in Homs city, described an incident where an intelligence officer pointed to a female detainee and was told by the senior commander [name withheld] ““Take her. Do anything you want with her.” He described female relatives of anti-Government armed group fighters and demonstrators being detained and raped by officers as retribution. 10. A 14 year old boy, whose treatment at a Military Security branch in Damascus is detailed in document A/HRC/22/59, annex X was threatened with rape during his interrogation. He also stated that while detained, he saw a cellmate who returned from interrogation crying and then refused to eat for two days. The cellmate later told him that he had been raped. 11. Three of those interviewed reported suffering other forms of sexual violence, such as electricity shocks and cigarette burns to their genitals, while held in official detention centres. One, arrested in Damascus in the latter half of 2012 and transferred to Political Intelligence in Harasta, described having electric shocks to genitals. He was told “we do this so you won’t have children.” The full extent of the abuse suffered is detailed in document A/HRC/22/59, annex VIII. He also saw two women imprisoned, who were held in order to force their husband and son to give themselves up in exchange. 12. An interviewee described having electric shocks to his genitals during his interrogation at Damascus’ Military Security Branch 235 (see A/HRC/22/59, annex VIII). A former employee of the same branch stated that, during interrogations, he had witnessed electric shocks being applied to the genitals of male detainees. 13. A former worker from the Political security branch in Hama said he witnessed intelligence officer’s applying electric shocks to sensitive organs, including the genitals, during the interrogation of detainees. 76 GE.13-10627