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Florida Matters: A Syrian Refugee Speaks of Protest and Torture

Last April, Florida Matters brought you the story of University of South Florida student Noor Shakfeh, a Syrian-American who spent her spring break aiding Syrian refugees on the Syrian-Turkey border.

Credit Noor Shakfeh
USF student Noor Shakfeh.

Florida Matters – guest host Bobbie O’Brien talks with Shakfeh and her cousin who has been granted political asylum in the U.S. and is living in Florida.

Mazen Jasem Al Mahmoud,30, shares what life was like in Syria before the revolution started, his surreal experience attending his first protest and then details of being detained and tortured several times by the al-Assad government.

Please note the story of survival by Syrian citizen Mazen Jasem Al Mahmoud contains sensitive material. We also are not publishing a photo of him because he fears it would further endanger his family still living in Syria.

You can listen to the Florida Matters: Spring Break in Syria.

Bobbie O’Brien has been a Reporter/Producer at WUSF since 1991. She reports on general news topics in Florida and the Tampa Bay region.