BEIRUT

Muhammed el-Halebi, spokesperson of the Syrian Revolution Coordinators Union (SRCU), accused the Syrian regime for using the mentally ill as human shield.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Halebi stated that the Assad regime had used Ed-Duveyrine Psychiatric Hospital as a military base to attack the opposition forces up until five months ago and the doctors and nurses working at the hospital fled for security reasons.

"Assad regime uses mentally ill patients as human shield, and when they are done with them, they are executed just like political prisoners or activists. Murdered mental patients are thrown into the Quweiq river," Halebi said.

Halebi, also claimed that mentally ill patients who were able to escape the Ed-Duveyrine Psychiatric Hospital were living on the streets in misery and noone cared about them.

Meanwhile Ummu Ahmed el-Halebiyye, whose son escaped the mentioned hospital said, "A while ago my son suffering from epilepsy killed his brother. One of my sons died and the other went to the psychiatric hospital. Two months ago one of my neighbors called to tell me my son escaped from the hospital and was seen in the streets of Aleppo. We have been searching for my son ever since, but found no clues. Today I am suffering more than the day my son was killed. Back then I knew my son had died but now I don't know what he is doing or eating."

Eighty bodies including children were found their hands tied behind them in Quweiq river on January 29. Eye witnesses had told there were marks of torture and many of them were shot to deat from their heads.

Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) announced over 100 thousand people have died in Syria since March 2011.