Several Turkish non-governmental organizations (NGO) on Monday called on the international community to take action for the immediate release of women and children held in Syrian prisons.
They gathered at a conference titled "Till the last woman and child is freed" held to mark Human Rights Day.
Speaking at the event, Bülent Yıldırım, chairman of Humanitarian Relief Organization (IHH), said they would organize mass demonstrations by the end of January to draw public attention to the matter.
"This shame is a disgrace to Muslim countries. The Ummah should not oppress anyone regardless of their religion, language or race. Women and children should not be used as a bargaining tool in wars," he said.
He added that the issue was also highlighted during the ''Conscience Convoy'' in which 10,000 women from across the world gathered in Turkey's southern Hatay province to draw public awareness to the issue.
Cihad Gökdemir, the head of Human Rights and Justice Movement (IHAK), read a joint statement on behalf of the NGOs.
More than 450,000 people, including 20,000 children, were killed since 2011 when the civil war erupted, he said, adding that more than 150,000 people were missing, he said.
Quoting figures from Syrian human rights organizations, he said 6,736 women and children were languishing in prisons across Syria.
"Some sources report that there are some 16,000 women and child prisoners held in various intelligence centers and prisons across Syria," he added.
He said sexual harassment and rape were the most intense problems women suffered in the prisons, adding that the total number of women arrested since 2011 was about 14,000.
He accused the regime forces of using rape as a method of war and interrogation, expressing that the regime used it to suppress opposing women. "These practices were transformed into a military and political strategy," he said.
"We call on anyone with conscience to ensure the immediate release of children and women who were harassed and raped for eight years in the prisons of Syria. [...] Women and children can't be regarded as weapons or bargaining tool. Hear the screams of these women and children," he said.
A Syrian woman, who was released from one such prison, recalled her ordeal as "hell", noting that she was subjected to physical and psychological torture on daily basis.
Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed or displaced in the conflict, mainly by regime airstrikes targeting opposition-held areas.
