When you think of dictatorial regimes, you might think of state-controlled media, or of the army on the side of the state- but what about the healthcare sector? Do they side with the regime? And what does that even look like?

Since the uprising in Syria began, regime-aligned doctors have played a powerful role within Assad's torture apparatus. In this episode, we're taking a first look at the darker side of medicine within the context of war-torn Syria.

Article of Annsar Shahhoud in the Journal Of Genocide Research.

Annsar Shahhoud’s Master’s Thesis.

Follow Uğur Ümit Üngör on Twitter.

Research project of Ugur with a.o. Annsar on mass violence in Iraq and Syria.

2014 report of the independent international commission of inquiry on Syria.

2015 Human Rights Watch report on mass deaths and torture in Syria’s detention facilities.

Physicians For Human Rights on targeting of medical personnel in Syria.

2012 Guardian article on medical violence in Homs.

Article by Hannah on medical violence and the Al-Khatib trial.

SJAC update on the indictment of Alaa M.

Our episode on sexual violence, They Pay Twice.

ECCHR trial reports

Syria Justice and Accountability Centre's monitoring of the trial

Special thanks to Saleem Salameh for providing this episode's voice over.

Logo design by laurenshebly.nl -- Photo by James Lawler Duggan/AFP/Getty Images.

Music via Blue Dot Sessions

Support for our podcast comes from German Federal Foreign Office funds that are provided by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen IFA's zivik Funding Programme.