Torture Photos from "Caesar"/Photo Timeline

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The following seeks to organize at least many of the "Caesar" photos into a timeline and correlate details as possible. The pictures database of the Syrian Association for Missing and Conscience Detainees (SAFMCD) is used for reference, along with previously published photos, claimed identifications, opposition VDC entries, and other sources.

All folders at the SAFMCD site (auto-translated from Arabic), in order of size:

  • 215 - secret raids and intrusions - 3,556 photos
  • 227 - Zone Branch (Damascus) - 2,047 photos
  • Air Force Intelligence Branch - 390 photos
  • 216 - periodicals Branch - 297
  • 235 - Palestine Branch - 128
  • "Anonymous branch": 109
  • 251 - Internal branch - the state security: 103
  • "Sporadic views": 71
  • 248 - military investigation Branch - 54
  • 220 - Sasa branch: 50
  • Military Police Branch: 45

Total photos = 6,850. All but a very few are victim face-shots, with very few repetitions (at least six cases, but citation needed). Therefore, estimates of alleged detainees of these branches in the mid-to-upper 6,000 range seem well supported.

Furthermore, the time-span seems limited. Images are said to run back to early 2012, but it seems so far very few images appear (in folders dated) before November 1, 2012. However, that's a giant folder and stretches back over an unclear span. From there they come in heavily, with folder names like 3-2013, 7-7-2013, and running up to August 14, 2013 - so covering mainly a nine-month span, depending when all the images in the November folder were taken (dates seem to be when created, and even that's not necessarily correct).

Caesar victim number 2615 227.png

At right is a graphic to explain the numbers referred to below. The top victim number, allegedly, was assigned by the branch of military intelligence indicated below that. The bottom number is set at hospital 601 morgue, apparently by the team taking the "Caesar" photos. "SAFMCD code #" is their index, irrelevant, but useful for searches etc. (on each photo of theirs in red). "Original name" is the photo title as given by SAFMCD with each linked entry. It seems to say branch-victim#-date(d-mm-yyyy)-(number in sequence of photos of the same victim?). As for the victim the numbers in this photo are attached to, see Branch 227 below.

Select and random victims by branch number (in the order above), then victim number.

Branch 215

215 secret raids and intrusions - 3,556 photos
branch victim# card bottom# SAFMCD code#/link original name ID notes sources visual notes
??
?? 194272 215-0002-5-2012 (3) heavyset
?? 052957 215-000-1-11-2012 (6)
?? 729764 215-000-1-11-2012 (3)
178 346231 215-178-1-11-2012 (2)
197 297426 215-197-1-11-2012 (3)
235 101825 215-235-1-11-2012 (2)
261 898313 215-261-9-12-2012 (2)
284 449265 215-284-1-11-2012 (2) starved?
285 652545 215-285-1-11-2012 (1) bloody face, green headband
286 079165 215-286-1-11-2012 (4)
290 243937 215-290-1-2013 (4) young, battered face
297 939393 215-297-1-11-2012 (2) Fayez Owdah- Rural Damascus- Daraya shrc1
299 291063 215-299-1-11-2012 (2) older man, no visible marks, neck covered
304 385186 Omar Jukhdar- Rural Damascus- Dumar shrc1
305 808872 215-305-1-11-2012 (1)
307 774382 215-307-1-11-2012 (2) Abdul Razzaq al-Sheikh- Rural Damascus- Qatna shrc1
311 2102 (green) 020953 215-311-1-11-2012 (3) extremely starved, Zaman photo face match
320 823722 215-320-1-11-2012 (2) Ayham Ghazzoul, died Nov. 9, 2012, dentist and human rights activist hrw, VDC VDC
341 617945 215-341-1-11-2012 (2) tile floor
359 954004 215-359-1-11-2012 (2) clothed, recent capture, mucous
365 667167 215-365-1-11-2012 (3) massive blood and mucous from nose
427 580981 215-427-17-12-2012 (3)_1 clothed, being poked with a stick
485 323180 215-485-1-2013 (2)_1 boy, burned face and neck, bloody face
599 192885 215-599-1-2013 (2) Tayseer Sakhnini- a Palestinian from Rural Damascus- Dumar shrc1 extremely starved
635 745378 215-635-1-2013 (2)
682 481918 215-682-1-2015 (2)
791 740752 215-791-12-2012 (2) Yahya Matar- Rural Damascus- Daraya shrc1 VDC
852 190367 215-852-2-2013 (2) starved
924 446474 215-924-2-2013 (2) injured eyes, mucous
969 481782 215-969-2-2013 (2)
1005 783578 215-1005-12-2012 (2) bloody foam from mouth
1075 706348 215-1075-1-7-2012 (1) Majid Abu Draa’(known as Abu Obaidah) – Rural Damascus- Dumar shrc1
1105 169072 215-1105-28-2-2013 (2) older man, blood from mouth
1144 765653 215-1144-3-2013 (2) starved
1225 382233 215-1225-3-2013 (2) As’ad al-Aytah- Rural Damascus- Dumar shrc1
1260 4710 (no b) 449756 215-1260-3-2013 (2) Z9519 starved, head wound, smoke-stained, unkempt, teeth knocked out, chest tattoos
1292 4747 (no b) 616239 215-1292-3-2013 (3) bottom # may not be his, but same time
1340 759904 215-1340-3-2013 (2) tile floor
1392 166873 215-1392-3-2013 (5) mucous from nose
1484 164046 215-1484-3-2013 (2)
1651 357/b 367778 215-1651-3-2013 (2)
1895 861/b starved teenage boy, foot injury, wrist tag: 711/b?
2014 919/b 624189 215-2014-4-6-2013 (2)
2068 112087 215-2068-4-6-2013 (2) Rami Khudayr- Rural Damascus- Dumar shrc1
2131 133842 215-2131-4-6-2013 (2) foam from mouth
2242 231905 215-2242-4-6-2013 (2) starved, eyes?
2269 ???6 255125 215-2269-4-6-2013 (2) white foam from mouth
2333 362889 215-2333-4-6-2013 (2) starved, in group shot Caesar_24 house.gov
2340 618621 215-2340-2-2013 (3) starved, in group shot Caesar_24 house.gov
2659 1993/b boy, a bit starved, foot injuries, mild neck marks, shorts down
2916/215 ????/b 898958 15-2916-4-6-2013 (2) old man, starved
2935 2487/b 451249 215-2935-4-6-2013 (2) Rihab Allawi, died 2/15 or spring 2013 hrw, monitor, etc. clothed, not clearly dead, etc.
3180/215? 3039/b? (from small screen grab, WSJ)
3350 796842 215-3350-24-6-2013 (2) Dr. Muhammad Zakaria Naddaf ( محمد زكريا النداف June 26, 2014 report, arrested a year ago
3385 370510 215-3385-24-6-2013 (7)
3724 544979 215-3724-24-6-2013 Hussam Sureym ( حسام صريم ), Daraya, FSA? Monitor
3729 4120/b 713849 215-3729-24-6-2013 (2) fit man, recent capture? blood from nose
3770 4230/b 134741 215-3770-24-6-2013 (3)
3791 373959 215-3791-24-6-2013 (2) Louay al-Amer, from Baba Amro, Homs sirajpress.com VDC raw eye, dried mucous from nose?
3947 632608 215-3947-7-7-2013 (2) both eyes gouged out
4075 824665 215-4075-14-8-2013 (2) right eye gouged out
4077 960300 215-4077-14-8-2013 (2) both eyes gouged out
4081 768256 both eyes gouged out
4082 793259 215-4082-14-8-2013 (3) starved, right eye gouged out
4089 084994 215-4089-14-8-2013 Turki Abdul Hameed al-Nasir- Daraa- Inkhil shrc1 both eyes gouged out

some unclear strays to work in (re-set points, typos, or what?):

Branch 227

227 - Zone Branch (Damascus), 2,047 photos
branch victim# card bottom# SAFMCD code#/link original name ID notes sources visual notes
409 894653 227-409-1-11-2012 (2) mucous and blood
473 589180 227-473-1-11-2012 (3) Sulaiman Adnan Abu Naboot- Daraa- Tareeq al-Sad District shrc1
535 106292 227-535-1-11-2012 (1) mucous and blood
536 249859 227-536-1-11-2012 (3) mucous and blood
759 759/227, 2681 Z9519 Assad tattoo
830 297706 227-830-000 (1)
999 696641 227-999-1-2013 (3)_1
1118 110753 227-1118-1-2013 (3)
1154 278056 227-1154-1-2013 (3)
1404 Anas Hasan al-Maslamani- Daraa- Nimr shrc1
1498?/ 227, ?? Majd al-Taqi- Rural Damascus- Qatna shrc1
1904/227, 2747/b starved young man/teenager, rotten black left foot, throat abbrasions
2424 227103 227-2424-24-6-2013 (2)
2436 391060 227-2436-24-6-2013 (2) black man?
2505
2534 227-2534-26-7-2013 (2) slightly starved
2593 524988 both eyes gouged out
2608 227-2608-7-7-2013 (5 starved, tattoos, mucous
2613 722130 227-2613-7-7-2013 (2) starved, both eyes gouged out
2615 4264/b 651841 227-2615-7-7-2013 (2) house.gov crucifix tattoos, starved, left eye gouged out, mucous
2694 starved, both eyes gouged out
2741 starved, both eyes
2768 405013 227-2768-000 (3) foam from mouth, both eyes gouged out
2791 4994/b Z9519 Assad tattoos
2822 278402 227-2822-14-8-2013 (4)

Air Force Intelligence Branch

Air Force Intelligence Branch
branch victim# card bottom# SAFMCD code#/link original name ID notes sources visual notes
(188?) 272009 j-88-6-2011 (1)_1
(1008)? 053346 j-008-24-6-2013 (2)_1 face torture, clothed - card: just 8?
1128 756808 j-1128-1-8-2012 (8) blood and mucous
(200)1? 944416 ja-001-2-2013 (2) Osama Hussein Salim arrested Feb. 2013 hrw
2107 329977 j-2107-3-2013 (5) mucous and blood
2250 548837 j-2250-4-6-2013 (1) white mucous and blood
3026 759616 j-3026-1-11-2012 (4) Ahmed Alyan “Abu Omar”- Rural Damascus- Daraya shrc1
3031 174180 j-3031-000 (1) yellow mucous
5063 082181 j-5063-24-6-2013 (1) mucous? Medical device on shoulder?
7017 718935 j-7017-1-2013 (1) young
8010 855383 j-8010-000 (1) Iyad al-Dabbas- Rural Damascus- Daraya, det: 2012-12-13 shrc1, vdc vdc Comparing images, it's clear this is the horrible photo at house.gov - holes in body, arm mangled, etc.
8019 854141 j-8019-2-2013 (3) Walid Abdul Malik al-Jabawi- Daraa- Inkhil shrc1
8065 230399 j-8065-7-7-2013 (1) mucous/vomit, both eyes gouged out
8080 829889 j-8080-7-6-2013 (2) Nabil al-Ahmar- Rural Damascus- Daraya shrc1
9125 609501 j-9125-3-2013 (1) Haitham Shama- Rural Damascus- Daraya shrc1
9151 4887 (no b) 366997 j-9151-3-2013 (1) Jordanian cab driver, Shadi Hassan Twitter visual: 9151/(j?), clothed (blue sweater)
9189 506879 j-9189-4-6-2013 (1) Khalid Hadlah- Rural Damascus- Daraya hrw, shrc1
9227 2441/b 211025 j-9227-4-6-2013 (5) apparent Shabih, Assad tattoo, shot in right chest, belly: 9227/(j?)card: 9227/(jrb?)


9231 -- 092845 j-9231-4-6-2013 (1) mucous/vomit
9246 606979 j-9246-000 (1) right eye gouged out?


Branch 216

216 - periodicals Branch
branch victim# card bottom# SAFMCD code#/link original name ID notes sources visual notes
44 722525 216-44-1-11-2012 (1) major blood, minor mucous, from mouth and nose (dried)
71 182628 216-71-1-11-2012 (1) Yusuf Abdul Rahman al-Rashid- Daraa- al-Kutaibah shrc1
85 3356 664389 216-85-1-2013 (1) Zaman photo, teenage boy, blood and mucous from mouth, nose 85/216 on belly, 2 lines of writing on head


106 082555 216-106-1-2013 (1) blood from mouth and nose


128 917733 216-128-1-11-2012 (1) blood from mouth - duplicate: 639308 -- 216-128-27-2-2013 (2)
165 090573 216-165-4-6-2013 (1) Rashid al-Darwish- Homs- Baba Amr shrc1
168 301928 216-168-4-6-2013 (1) raw eye, blood from mouth, duplicate: 256277 216-168-4-6-2013 (2)
189 726287 216-189-4-6-2013 (6) blood from mouth and nose
218 749806 216-218-4-6-2013 (1)
310 400987 216-310-24-6-2013 (3) yellow mucous/vomit dried with dirt, clothed (plaid shirt)
318 501015 216-318-26-7-2013 (1) starved, left eye gouged out
356 796172 216-356-000 (1)_1 starved, blood from nose, right eye gouged?
385 295720 starved, eyes? blood from mouth? burned neck

Other Branches

235 - Palestine Branch
branch victim# card bottom# SAFMCD code#/link original name ID notes sources visual notes
166 626566 235-166-26-7-2013 (2) Now Lebanon photo (graphic) old man, eyes popped out
248 - military investigation Branch
branch victim# card bottom# SAFMCD code#/link original name ID notes sources visual notes
63 44??/b changed to 4450/b. 576222 248-63-26-7-2013 (2) fuller photo (kids) boy, starved, raw eyes, neck burns - 62 on chest, card changed to say 63, Washed chest previously said ???/215


220 - Sasa Branch
branch victim# card bottom# SAFMCD code#/link original name ID notes sources visual notes
36 953615 220-36-4-6-2013 (2) USHMM video tortured man, stabbed body, loose teeth, blood from nose
47 101355 220-47-7-6-2013 (3) clothed (jacket, beads) blood from nose

The Other Half

All above sections deal with the half (28,707) of the "Caesar" photos (per HRW's December report) showing an estimated 6,786 alleged government detainees. A slightly smaller half (24568) was said by HRW to show "attack sites or of bodies identified by name as of government soldiers, other armed fighters, or civilians killed in attacks, explosions, or assassination attempts." It seems perhaps none of these have been publicly released. Here's a table in case any turn up.

loyalist fighters and civilian victims of "attacks"
victim# card bottom# ID notes sources visual notes



Earliest Entries

"In the beginning, they put a name on each corpse, but after a while – a few weeks or a month – it was just numbers." - Caesar, as quoted here (original source unclear) Names do appear in the early stretch, where the numbers start out small in mid-2011. However, it seems numbers start even before names do, by a couple of months, and the names are very few - one a month, some months.

It seems easy enough to consider the entire first year or so, up to May, 2012. From the images so far processed after an aggressive search, this is perhaps all of the entries for 2011, or missing very few if so. 43 individuals, 3 duplicates, 46 photos total. By month (6-digit number can be searched in the box at right on an entry, like the first one linked to) Many of these could be earlier hospital number insertions (see #Early Entries Re-Branded?), but the numbers aren't really clear. However the numbers do at least start small and grow slowly, like a sequential hospital number. And some already seem re-branded from that into prisoner ID#s.


March, April, 2011

  • none

5-2011

  • j-000-5-2011 (3)_1-237682
  • j-201-5-2011 (2)-831463


6-2011

  • 227-001-6-2011 (1)-598347
  • j-88-6-2011 (1)_1-272009

7-2011

  • none

8-2011

  • 000-8-2011 Ismail Mumina (4)-438909
  • j-002-8-2011 (9)_1-922620
  • j-002-8-2011 (16)_1-275894

9-2011

  • j-000-9-2011 (1)_1-822755
  • j-000-9-2011 (11)_1-540798
  • 001-9-2011-intelligence department (14)-225756
  • 001-9-2011 Intelligence Department (18)-836406

10-2011

  • j-001-10-2011 (35)_1-596520 (note: at least 35 photos of this one guy, this being #35)
  • j-002-10-2011 (7)_1-415687

11-2011

  • 11-2011-Ahmed Hawas (1)-326048
  • 003-11-2011 (1)-332781
  • 003-11-2011 (22)-644748 (photo #22 of this same man)
  • 006-11-2011 (24)-696543
  • 007-11-2011 (1)-202174
  • 008-11-2011 (1)-009087
  • j-008-11-2011 (1)_1-695911
  • 012-28-11-2011-intelligence department (5)-124358
  • 013-28-11-2011-security military (3)-920475

12-2011

  • j-005-12-2011 (1)_1-520963
  • 019-12-2011 (1)-287255
  • 1263-12-2011 Intelligence Department (1)-728792
  • 1263-12-2011 Intelligence Department (9)-027601

2012: This is less likely to be complete, but probably fairly close. First 5 months: 59 photos) 1-2012

  • Ibrahim al-Hur 1-2012-990937
  • 003-1-2012-Sednaya Prison (1)-994579
  • 055-1-2012 (3)-110107
  • j-69-1-2012 (9)_1-319497
  • j-70-1-2012 (5)_1-425855
  • j-71-1-2012 (16)_1-294731
  • j-72-1-2012 (15)_1-251399
  • 261-1-2012-Musa Hammoud (4)-332262
  • 1270-1-2012 (5)-941539
  • 1277-1-2012 (1)-342103

2-2012

  • 215-909-2-2012 (2) (typo - clearly fits with 2-2013 victims)

3-2012

  • 007-3-2012-threen (3)-003774
  • 008-3-2012-tshreen (1)-443043
  • 009-3-2012-tshreen (1)-799459
  • 010-3-2012-tshreen (1)-721341
  • 026-3-2012-tshreen (1)-705336
  • 179-3-2012-tshreen (3)-773184
  • 188-3-2012-tshreen (1)-377830
  • j-191-6-3-2012 (4)-860827

4-2012

  • (misplaced?) j-4-2012 (1)(Mohammed Noureddine Salkini)-968749

5-2012 (partial)

  • j-000-5-2012 (3)_1-149266
  • 215-0001-5-2012 (8)-735248
  • 215-0002-5-2012 (3)-194272
  • 002-5-2012-intelligence department (2)-880331
  • j-004-5-2012 (2)_1-418106
  • 293-001-5-2012 (5)-789799
  • j-352-5-2012 (1)-001763
  • j-353-5-2012 (2)-929766
  • j-364-5-2012 (1)-531390
  • mp-371-5-2012 (1)-716074
  • 227-372-5-2012 (2)-632999
  • 409-5-2012 (3)-962117
  • 251-428-5-2012 (3)-067407
  • 434-5-2012 (1)-534770
  • 435-5-2012 (3)-568500

...

  • 445-5-2012 (1)-895722
  • 563 1-5-2012 Alaa Yahya Alddar Rabha-406665

May's numbers run mainly to 445, with the named 563 being an oddball entry. Caesar's claim of names and then numbers seems wrong - the two are mixed from the start, and stay that way until May, 2012, barely. From there, names don't seem to appear at all.

In May the numbers pick up some - 39 photos there, 75 in June (picking up at 456 or earlier), 57 in July, and at least 35 in August, which may cut way short - there are no more folders until November with over 400 photos in it (no final count yet, if ever). And from there the deaths remain very high until August, 2013.

By Hospital Number

This seems to be the simplest, most logical, and most likely official of the numbers seen. It seems to be simply ane entry per body, and the numbers tick up to almost 10,000. Mapping these is perhaps the best way to get a feel for the timeline of the Caesar photos.

Verifying the Switch at 5,000

body numbers closest to 5,000/0 switches
Hosp# victim# date sources
2065 227-394 1-11-2012 (6) SAFMCD entry SNHR photo ZaW ZaW ZaW
4978 215-1385 3-2013 ? SAFMCD
10/b 215-1414 3-2013 (2) SAFMCD entry (shows card)
4994/b 227-2791 14-8-2013 (5) SAFMCD ZaW

Hospital Numbers Timeline

Plotted by H Number 3.png
(other content moved to talk page - new section)

Early Entries Re-Branded?

(moved to talk page - new section)

Sources

Jihad, Mohamed, Ahmed, Ridha and khaled Younes Sorour were arrested by Syrian regime forces on August 6 2012. The sixth brother, Mahmoud, was summarily executed in the same day in front of his family in Ma'rabah village in Daraa countryside.
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