Since he seized power in Syria two decades ago, President Hafez Asad has subjected his people to continuous repression. Violence reached a peak in the early 1980s, when Asad's Ba'thist regime crushed its opposition, killing at least ten thousand citizens and jailing thousands more. And today, despite some gestures of liberalization, the practices of Asad's government remain repugnant. Security forces routinely arrest citizens without charge, torture them during interrogation, and imprison them without trial for political reasons. At least 7500 political prisoners are currently held under appalling conditions. Persecution of the country's minorities - notably Jews, Palestinians, and Kurds - is rampant. Syria is also a serious rights offender in Lebanon where, since 1976, its army has controlled more than half of the country and has imprisoned, tortured, and massacred hundreds of innocent civilians. This book by Middle East Watch describes the various forms of oppression in Syria and gives details about the three institutions that help Asad maintain his control - the Ba'th Party, the military, and the security forces. The book provides information not only on the violent acts perpetrated by the government but also on such topics as the censorship of mass media, the banning of opposition political parties and professional associations, and the country's foreign relations. Based in large part on confidential interviews with Syrian emigres and sources encountered during an unauthorized visit to Syria - all of whom risked harassment from their country's security forces for providing information to Middle East Watch - this book presents Syria's dismal human rights record powerfully and thoroughly.