December 9th 2024.
As the reign of Bashar-al-Assad, a brutal dictator, comes to an end after decades in power, the liberation of Syria's infamous torture prisons has begun. These prisons have been responsible for the deaths of over 100,000 people since the country descended into a civil war in 2011. Among these prisons, Sednaya stands out as a particularly terrifying place, earning the nickname "the human slaughterhouse" due to its high death toll and inhumane treatment of prisoners, including women, children, activists, and military personnel who dared to oppose Assad's regime.
For years, Sednaya has been a symbol of Assad's iron grip on Syria, with only a small number of detainees ever being released and families left in the dark about the fate of their loved ones. The majority of prisoners were considered "missing" because the regime rarely issued death certificates unless relatives paid large bribes to the guards. This created a lucrative racket for the guards, further perpetuating the cycle of violence and oppression within the prison.
Sednaya Military Prison was divided into two sections, with civilians arrested since the beginning of the rebellion held in the red building and officers and soldiers who took part in protests held in the white building. The regime kept executions secret, often recording them as "heart attacks," but these killings were actually authorized by high-ranking Syrian officials. In 2015, a report by Amnesty International revealed that prisoners were mass executed after being found guilty in mock trials overseen by prison guards.
The process of execution was described as brief and cruel, with prisoners being condemned to death in fake trials that lasted only a few minutes. They were then hanged in secret executions, often taking place only once or twice a week, with 20 to 50 people being killed each time. The victims were blindfolded and transferred to a room in the basement of the white building before being hanged, and their bodies were then taken to a hospital for registration and buried in mass graves.
Rescue efforts have been ongoing, with teams breaking down walls to access hidden compounds beneath the prison where hundreds more prisoners are believed to be held. The process of liberation has been emotional and difficult, with many prisoners suffering from severe physical and psychological trauma due to their time in Sednaya. Some prisoners were even forced to rape and torture their fellow inmates, while others were subjected to extreme forms of physical and sexual violence.
The goal of torture in Sednaya was not just to inflict physical pain, but also to destroy any sense of human dignity and hope within the prisoners. Many detainees developed serious mental illnesses as a result of their treatment, and some were even forced to torture their own family members. The conditions in the prison were deplorable, with prisoners being denied basic necessities such as food, water, and medical care.
But now, with the regime change, humanitarian groups known as the "White Hats" have entered Sednaya and have begun the process of freeing the remaining prisoners. Video footage has surfaced online of rebels knocking down walls to reach hidden tunnels beneath the prison, where hundreds more prisoners are thought to be held in secret. The rescue efforts have been emotional and overwhelming, with recently freed prisoners expressing shock and confusion about the world outside of Sednaya.
In 2022, Syrian human rights activist Diab Serriya expressed the hope that if a political transition occurs in Syria, Sednaya will be turned into a museum, much like Auschwitz, in order to honor the victims and ensure that such atrocities never happen again. As for now, the process of liberation continues, with the goal of freeing all prisoners and bringing justice to those who have suffered under Assad's brutal regime.
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