An international rights group says Syrian security forces are running more than two dozen torture centers. And the group -- Human Rights Watch, based in New York -- says the frequency of torture in Syria could constitute crimes against humanity. It's calling for international action.
According to Human Rights Watch, captors at the torture centers regularly punch staples in the skin of detainees, tear out their fingernails and beat them with sticks. The report says electric shocks are administered to genitals and other body parts.
Many former detainees who were interviewed said they were held in overcrowded facilities where torture by guards and interrogators was common.
The group wants the U.N. Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
The Syrian government isn't commenting.
