A/HRC/13/42* page 170 Case 12 - Biographic details Name Mrs. Maryam Kallis* Nationality/country of origin United Kingdom/Pakistan Gender Female Detention Date of the initial detention 15 March 2009 Location of the initial detention Damascus, Syria Grounds of detention No charges were ever brought against her. The authority(ies) involved in the arrest/detention Believed to be the Mukhabarat, the intelligence services of the Syrian Arab Republic. Site(s) held in detention, including sites of possible transit Basement in a private complex in Baab-Tooma, Damascus Total period of detention Approximately 3 months (15 March to 7 June 2009) Duration of secret detention Same period as above Conditions and treatment Mrs. Kallis was interrogated for approximately two hours by men, after she had a body search by a woman. She was then taken back to her apartment blindfolded and handcuffed. That evening, she was taken back to the basement and kept in incommunicado detention until 7 June. Upon arrival at the basement, she was placed in a large cell on her own for four days. She was later transferred to another cell, which she shared with a woman and her baby for 25 days. She was then taken to a smaller cell, where she remained on her own, except for two days when she shared the cell with another woman. She was not allowed to communicate with other detainees and could only speak to the guards when she needed to use the toilet. She was not allowed to go outside. She suffered from mental torture and witnessed scenes of torture where men were beaten with electric shocks. Date of release 7 June 2009. Additional information Mrs. Kallis twice briefly met with representatives of the British consulate at another location. The British authorities indicated to her family that they could not disclose the place of detention because they had an agreement with Syria not to disclose it and because the family could put her life at risk if they went there. * Information contained is from an interview with the interviewee and other credible sources.