Channel 4 releases 'Syria's Torture Machine' promo video

Channel 4 has released a promotional video for a new documentary on the torture of citizens in Syria, focusing on the power of mobile phones to expose abuse.

Syria's Torture Machine is an investigation into the alleged detention and torture of civilians at the hands of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's forces.

The documentary features shocking video evidence of men, women and children being subjected to beatings, whippings and more elaborate torture in the country.

Just like Channel 4's acclaimed Sri Lanka's Killing Fields documentary, much of the footage was captured on mobile phones by eye witnesses.

To promote the documentary, Channel 4 has commissioned a video offering a take on the famous phrase 'the pen is mightier than the sword', suggesting that the mobile phone is now more powerful than the gun in bringing about change.

Revolution, protest, disorder and unrest have informed many of the key news stories over the past 12 months, leading Time magazine to pick a masked protester as its prestigious 'Person of the Year'.

Technology has played a key part in co-coordinating unrest across the world. Facebook and Twitter helped spread revolution across the Middle East, and BlackBerry Messenger is thought to have acted as a conduit for rioting in London.

Syria's Torture Machine will air on December 19 at 11.10pm on Channel 4.

Watch the promotional video below: