Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


Trials of IS Fighters in Syria Suspended Indefinitely

Heather Murdock

   HASSEKA, SYRIA - "It's like we are holding a ticking bomb in our
   hands," a guard in a prison in northeastern Syria told us in February.
   The facility holds roughly 5,000 accused Islamic State militants from
   all over the world.

   A month later, the metaphorical bomb went off. Prisoners rioted on
   Sunday, overrunning one floor of the prison and smashing interior
   doors.

   Later that night, wearing a black mask and flanked by men carrying
   AK-47s, Rubar Hassan, the prison's director, appeared before news
   cameras, appealing for international help. More than a year after the
   territorial defeat of IS in Syria, officials here still feel baffled
   and betrayed by the international community.

   Watch: Related video by Heather Murdock

.