After Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in early December, the infamous Saydnaya prison, a few kilometers outside the capital Damascus, was once again in the spotlight. Mainly political prisoners were held there.
Between 2011 and 2015, in the midst of the country’s civil war, up to 13,000 people are estimated to have been executed there, according to a high-profile report from Amnesty. The human rights organization has also described it as a “slaughterhouse for people”.
Many Syrians now visit the prison in the hope of finding traces of their loved ones.
– My brother has been missing since April 6, 2022. I am looking for him, says Raja Hammode.
She tells him that she’s looking for the slightest clue, even if it’s just an inscription on the wall that can confirm he’s been there.
Hundreds were imprisoned in the same room
When SVT visits the infamous place, people testify about the conditions in the dark isolation cells, located below the torture chambers.
In a single cell, of only a few square meters, up to a hundred people could be crowded at the same time. The detainees were forced to take turns standing and lying down because the space was so limited.
– Maybe Saydnaya cannot be summed up in one word. A single word cannot sum up Saydnaya, but we can say: tragedy, says activist Ahmed Al Hassan.
– The height of the tragedy in Syria is Saydnaya.
Watch when SVT visits the infamous prison in the video above.