Hussam Sureym, #CaesarPhotos Victim Profile

Fail Caesar Part 6: Hussam Sureym, #CaesarPhotos Victim Profile
January 1, 2016
(incomplete)

In March, 2015, as "Caesar" photo identifications came pouring in, one of the younger victims first included was Hussam Sureym, as shown alive and dead at right. 

I chose this transliteration of the Arabic name  حسام صريم as the best of several I've seen. It clarifies how his name sounds to Arabic speakers - quite like Syria itself (Souriya). As understood by most, based on what "Caesar" has said, the "Eastern Arabic" numbers on his forehead show he was the 3,724th political detainee snuffed out at Syrian military intelligence branch 215 (left, reads l-r, looks like CIO, it's common here).

Yet, hardly anyone has much to say about him. He's from Daraya, but it's not clear when or why he was arrested, etc. The most detailed report I found was from Daraya News, who might know more than most. They report (Arabic, auto-translated):

In the name of Allah the Merciful ... More satisfaction and delivery to the order of Allah convey to you the news of the death of the young man, "Hossam Abu Adnan Sureym" in the Air Force Intelligence Branch under torture. We ask God to martyr acceptance and compassion and his family patience and solace ...

That's rebel news for you. The VDC lists Hussam Sarim (or in Arabic -  حسام صريم ) Known as Abo Adnan, Martyred under torture in the regime`s prisons in the air forces' directorate prison after several months in detention, Date of death unknown accurately. March 10, 2015 is given, but that's the date they made the entry. His date of death and detention are both unknown, so the basis for "several months" might be that he had time to starve like that. I imagine a week or two could do this as well to a guy who started out lean like that.Or they thought his hair grew out a lot. But mainly, I think it just lost its gel in the complex process of becoming the hair of a corpse blamed on "Assad."

The VDC also listed him here as a detaineed (perhaps at the time, or later, would have to check entry numbers). Hussam Soraiem, Detention Date     2013-09-07, Release Date   0000-00-00 (presumably still held) Notes:  Detention date is inaccurate (many entries say that).

This links to a still-active Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/الحرية-للشاب-حسام-صريم/145522932323825 The profile image shows him in front of the Syrian national (not rebel) flag, either meaning he was loyal or someone wanting to appear as wanting him free was trying that to tell that to his supposed captors ("Assad, he loves you! Let him go!") Also seen standing on the coast with the (Mediterranean?) behind him. That would be in Latakia or Tartous maybe, where Sunnis live and visit but Alawites predominate. I didn't notice anything else political one way or another. His missing status was first noted with the page's creation on September 9, 2013, two days after that incorrect arrest date. (also at least a week after "Caesar" defected with his photos and stopped including any more) In September 2014, they were still praying, a prayer in mid-January, then March 9 comments on his death and ID, with a bland page confirmation March 14.

There was an oddly similar arrested guy also listed by VDC here as Hussam Adnan Sraem (would name a son Adnan, become Abu Adnan). From, Daraya, age 20, pursuing Baccalaureate degree in college. Detention Date: 2013-06-05. Detention Place:  Damascus Suburb: Mouadamiyeh. Release Date:  2015-03-08 (" The release date is inaccurate. The release date is the martyrdom date.")

Notes: Free Army. He was detained by Arbaien Street checkpoint with Imad Al-Qabouni and Jamal Abu Al-Hawa. He was martyred under torture in regime prisons. Did not hand over his body to his family.

Yeah, that's clearly the same guy. Allegedly FSA, and could be. Arrested by someone, on suspicion of something, allegedly at a government checkpoint that hadn't been overrun. He was starved and dead from unclear causes (not starvation), ostensibly before "Caesar" stopped taking pictures in August.

SAFMCD entry: code #544979 Photo Original Name: 215-3724-24-6-2013. (3724 is the number on his forehead, right side).  The date of the folder is included: 24-6, or June 24, 2013. That's when the 215 mobile "raids" unit brought the body to hospital 601. 

Inset is a screen grab of his entry (lower middle) among other men brought in around the same time (from this page). This is a glimpse of what kind of dead bodies were turning up, either from inside these prisons or from the Damascus countryside, in the months before the Ghouta chemical attack ... and the following regime starvation embargoes in the same areas... Moadamiya especially, where VDC heard Hussam was held.

Note here one victim of regime torture (upper middle) is oozing from his mouth, as if hit by chemicals (that one's dated July 7). This happened more widely in December 2012, and worse yet on June 4, 2013 so far that I've noticed. This will come together once the timeline becomes more filled-in.