CountrySyria
Ministry responsible
Ministry of the Interior
Prison population total (including pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners)
10 599
at 2004 (United Nations 9th Survey. The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates that in 2020 at least 149,360 Syrians were in detention centres or forcibly disappeared (U.S. State Department human rights report).)
Prison population rate (per 100,000 of national population)
60
based on an estimated national population of 17.68 million at mid-2004 (United Nations)
Pre-trial detainees / remand prisoners (percentage of prison population)
50.5%
(2004)
Female prisoners (percentage of prison population)
7.4%
(of convicted prisoners, 2004)
Foreign prisoners (percentage of prison population)
7.3%
(of convicted prisoners, 2004)
Number of establishments / institutions
35
(2004)
Official capacity of prison system
16 161
(2004)
Occupancy level (based on official capacity)
65.6%
(2004)
Prison population trend
(year, prison population total, prison population rate)
1997 14,000 92
2003 11,829 68
1997 14,000 92
2003 11,829 68

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Female prison population: trend

The table below gives an indication of the trend in the female prison population. The final row shows the latest figures available.

It consists of the number of female prisoners in the prison population on a single date in the year (or the annual average) and the percentage of the total prison population that female prisoners constituted on that day.  

The final column shows the female prison population rate per 100,000 of the national population. 

                                                   SYRIA

Year

Number of
female
prisoners

Percentage
of total
prison population

Female prison
population rate
(per 100,000 of
national population)

2003

497*

6.7%*

2.9*

2004

507*

7.4%*

2.9*

*These figures relate only to convicted prisoners. Full figures are not available.

The number of female prisoners fluctuates and so the above figures give an indication of the trend but the picture is inevitably incomplete.

The female prison population rate is calculated on the basis of the national population total. All national population figures are inevitably estimates but the estimates used in the World Prison Brief are based on official national figures, United Nations figures or figures from other recognised international authorities.

(If the rate were calculated on the basis of the number of females in the national population it would of course be approximately double the figure in the final column.)