Syrian Rebels Liberate Thousands from Notorious Sednaya Prison After Toppling Assad Regime

Syrian rebels led by the Islamist armed group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) have announced the liberation of thousands of political prisoners from the notorious Sednaya prison near Damascus. This development follows a dramatic 10-day military campaign that resulted in the downfall of the Assad family’s 50-year rule in Syria. HTS militants, led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani, took control of Sednaya prison on Sunday, forcing longtime leader Bashar al-Assad to flee to Russia.

The liberation of Sednaya prison has brought immense relief to families who had long believed their loved ones had been executed or were missing. Many detainees, who had been imprisoned since the Syrian uprising began in 2011, were reunited with their families. A mosque 20 kilometers away from the prison has become a meeting point for prisoners to locate their relatives.

Despite the liberation, many families are still searching for missing loved ones within the prison. The Syrian civil defence group, the White Helmets, has deployed specialized emergency teams to investigate reports of secret entrances and hidden underground cells within the prison. These teams are guided by individuals familiar with the prison’s layout and information from families who claim knowledge of hidden areas.

Sednaya prison, located 30 kilometers north of Damascus, has a dark history marked by systematic abuse and brutality under the Assad regime. The prison was built between 1981 and 1986 and became notorious for its harsh conditions, including torture, executions, and forced disappearances. Human rights groups estimate that between 5,000 and 13,000 people were executed, mostly by hanging, between 2011 and 2015. The prison was also known for its “red building,” where security detainees were held and subjected to sham trials and mass hangings.

The fall of the Assad regime and the liberation of Sednaya prison have shed light on the atrocities committed within its walls. However, the full extent of these atrocities may never be fully known. The international community is being called upon to investigate and prosecute these crimes to ensure justice for the survivors and the families of the disappeared.