Caption: Thousands of prisoners, including men, women, and children, have been liberated from the notorious Saydnaya Prison in Syria, marking a significant turning point in the conflict.
Thousands of prisoners, including men, women, and children, have been liberated from the notorious Saydnaya Prison in Syria, marking a significant turning point in the conflict. Image: Al Jazeera
(The Post News)- Syrian rebels led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) Islamist group have stormed the infamous Saydnaya Prison, liberating thousands of men, women, and children detained during Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The prison, often referred to as a “human slaughterhouse,” has been a symbol of the Assad regime’s brutality in Syria.
As the rebels overran the prison, the Syrian civil defense group, known as the White Helmets, deployed five specialized emergency teams to assist in the liberation efforts. A guide familiar with the prison’s layout aided the teams in navigating the complex. Videos captured during the liberation show rebels reassuring prisoners, telling them not to be afraid as Assad’s oppressive rule has come to an end.
One young man, who was liberated from the prison, recounted his harrowing experience. “I had no name in the prison, just a number. I lost my identity, my name, and my character. I was taken by the regime, and my family assumed I was dead.” His story is a testament to the brutal conditions faced by prisoners in Saydnaya.
Saydnaya Prison has been a notorious symbol of the Assad regime’s brutality in Syria. For 24 years, families were left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones, with many being informed of their relatives’ deaths long after they had passed away. Survivors of the prison recount appalling stories of torture and psychological manipulation. “Every minute felt like approaching death due to the severity of the torture and its brutal methods, which even an animal could not withstand,” said a former prisoner.
However, despite the liberation of thousands, concerns remain about the fate of over 100,000 detainees still being held in the prison’s underground facilities. According to local activist Omar Saoud, three floors underground lies a prison known as the “Red Prison,” which remains unopened. The Damascus Countryside Governorate has appealed to former soldiers and prison workers on social media to provide rebel forces with codes to the electronic underground doors.
The horrors of the prison, once hidden from the world, are now being exposed, and the international community is being forced to confront the brutal reality of the Assad regime’s actions.
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