A letter sent to the families of prisoners at Sednaya Prison, in Damascus province, stated that on February 16 security forces massacred prisoners after violent clashes between prisoners and their guards.
The clashes, the letter said, were provoked by the guards.
The families claim that conditions at Sednaya are “worse than at Guantanamo,” and that the prisoners suffer from insufficient food, heat, and medical care.
The families called for international intervention to stop the killings.
In 2008, it was reported that 25 prisoners died there during clashes. Many political prisoners are held at Sednaya.