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Syrian rebel fighter recalls torture inside ISIS prison

A young Syrian rebel fighter recounts the horrific experience of spending more than three months imprisoned by the radical Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
Free Syrian Army fighters erect the Syrian opposition flag atop a former base used by fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), after it was captured by rival rebel forces in Manbij town in Aleppo January 8, 2014. An al Qaeda affiliate based in Iraq and Syria has vowed to crush opposition groups it has been confronting in the worst outbreak of infighting among rebels since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. Picture taken January 8, 2014. REUTERS/Nashwan Marzouk

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — It had been 20 days since Mohammed's arrival in Turkey, after having spent more than three grueling months inside prisons run by the notorious Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in Syria. Mohammed, 20, came to Gaziantep from the Syrian town of Al-Bab in Aleppo province, where ISIS has imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia since capturing it in September 2013. Smoking is prohibited, women must wear black niqabs and arbitrary trials and detentions take place daily.

The large bump on his forehead is one of the many scars that provide a glimpse into Mohammed’s story.

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