The Syrian government is killing detainees at one of its prisons and using a crematorium to dispose of the bodies, a State Department official said Monday.
As many as 50 detainees are killed daily at the Saydnaya prison outside Damascus, said Stuart Jones, acting assistant secretary for the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
As many as 70 prisoners are being held by the Syrian government in cells designed to hold just five, Jones said.
"Credible sources have believed that many of the bodies have been disposed in mass graves," Jones told reporters at a briefing.
The United States believes the crematorium would be used to cover up mass murders at the prison and will present the evidence to the international community, Jones said.
Jones released information about the prison as part of newly declassified reporting and photos documenting the extent of the killing and devastation in Syria. The information has been gathered by a variety of sources, including nongovernmental organizations, news media and US intelligence sources.
"In light of the failures of the past ceasefire agreements, we have reason to be skeptical," Jones said. "The (Assad) regime must stop all attacks on civilian and opposition forces. And Russia must bear responsibility to ensure regime compliance.
Jones also was not optimistic about a deal to set up "de-escalation zones" inside Syria in an attempt to reduce violence and save lives. The deal was brokered by Russia with support from Iran and Turkey during ceasefire talks in the Kazakh capital of Astana last week.
Amnesty International reported in February that an average of 20 to 50 people were hanged each week at the Sednaya military prison north of Damascus. Between 5,000 and 13,000 people were executed at Sednaya in the four years since a popular uprising descended into war, it said.
