Event Highlights: Inside Assad’s Prison System
On Tuesday, October 10, the Center for the Study of Europe hosted a book talk by Dutch historian Ugur Ümit Üngör. The topic of discussion was Üngör’s recently published exposé of the worst prison systems in the Middle East, where one can be arrested for the crimes of distant relatives, for attending a book group, or for liking a post on Facebook. Syrian Gulag: Inside Assad’s Prison System, co-authored with former political prisoner and human rights activist Jaber Baker, is a harrowing account of the Assads’ rule, based on interviews with victims as well as perpetrators, survivors’ memoirs, regime archives, and leaked intelligence. The discussion was moderated by Aimee Genell, Assistant Professor of International Relations at BU’s Pardee School of Global Studies.
