Rescue workers affiliated with the White Helmets have concluded their search operation for potential detainees believed to be held in clandestine cells or basements within Syria’s infamous Saydnaya military prison, reporting no discoveries during their efforts.
On Monday, specialized teams, supported by K9 units and individuals knowledgeable about the prison’s layout, meticulously searched the facility and surrounding areas. At the same time, crowds assembled, anxiously hoping to locate their missing loved ones.
“According to a statement from the White Helmets, the search revealed no unopened or concealed areas within the facility.”
Reports emerged as rebel fighters announced the discovery of nearly 40 bodies exhibiting signs of torture in a hospital mortuary located in the capital, Damascus.
In a significant development, the leader of the Islamist militant group responsible for the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad announced on Sunday that former high-ranking officials implicated in the torture of political prisoners throughout the 13-year civil conflict would face accountability for their actions.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani announced that the identities of the officials would be disclosed, and efforts would be made to repatriate those who have sought refuge in other nations. In addition, he stated that rewards would be available for individuals who could supply information regarding their location.
A UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reports that nearly 60,000 individuals have been tortured and killed in prisons operated by the Assad government.
According to human rights organizations, over 100,000 individuals have gone missing since President Assad initiated a severe crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrations in 2011, an event that ignited the ongoing civil war.
A report released in 2022 by the Turkey-based Association of Detainees and the Missing in Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) described the facility as having “effectively become a death camp” following the onset of the conflict.
Reports indicate that over 30,000 detainees faced execution or succumbed to torture, inadequate medical care, or starvation at the facility from 2011 to 2018.
Released inmates have reported that at least 500 additional detainees were executed between 2018 and 2021.
ADMSP detailed the construction of “salt chambers,” which functioned as rudimentary mortuaries for the temporary storage of bodies before their transfer to Tishreen Military Hospital in Damascus for official registration and subsequent burial in military graves. According to reports, the families of the detainees were not provided with the bodies of their loved ones.
Amnesty International has characterized Saydnaya as a “human abattoir,” asserting that the highest echelons of the Assad government sanctioned the executions. The organization claims that these actions constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The Assad government has rejected Amnesty’s allegations, labeling them as “baseless” and “devoid of truth” while asserting that all executions in Syria adhere to due process.
