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In the Shadow of Syria’s Brutal Civil War, a Dark Symbol of Regime’s Systemic Violence Emerges
In the shadow of Syria’s brutal civil war, one institution stands as a chilling symbol of the regime’s systemic violence: Sednaya prison. Referred to as the “Death Factory” or the “Human Slaughterhouse,” Sednaya became a site of unimaginable suffering. Around 100,000 individuals, according to reports, have disappeared into Assad’s prisons, where people, including thousands of women and children, were detained, tortured, and killed.
Rights groups have documented that at least 10% of those detained lost their lives in these prisons, though some reports suggest the figure could be as high as 20%. The number continues to rise as families speak out about the whereabouts of their missing loved ones, many of whom remain unaccounted for.
Sednaya was not just a prison, but a tool to crush any form of resistance or humanity. Former political prisoner and Syrian affairs analyst Ahed Al Hendi, who was arrested for establishing a secular anti-regime student organization, described the prison as a place where children and women were taken as hostages to pressure their fathers or husbands. “We found children born there as a result of rape by prison guards. Entire families were destroyed by the regime,” he said.
The conditions in Sednaya were inhumane. Prisoners were often starved, beaten, and tortured with electricity. “When they execute someone, they don’t feed them for three days before the execution. The guards say, ‘Why feed him? We will take the food for ourselves,'” Al Hendi said.
After the fall of the Assad regime, Sednaya was liberated, and thousands of prisoners were freed. However, the atrocities committed at Sednaya were part of a broader campaign by the Assad regime to exterminate its opposition in the most horrific ways. Both Braude and Al Hendi emphasize the need for accountability. “What we need now is truth and reconciliation,” Braude says. “Only by acknowledging the suffering and recognizing the full scope of the atrocities can Syria begin to heal.”
The investigations into Sednaya and the mass graves have painted a horrific picture of the regime’s violence, but they also serve as a call for justice. “The consequences of the Assad regime’s atrocities are profound. The key question now is how the population can move forward and rebuild, rather than descending into further civil conflict,” Braude said.
The investigations also highlight the need for Russia to surrender Assad and 100 top officials responsible for the atrocities in exchange for amnesty for low-level perpetrators who were following orders. This could help prevent further violence and bring stability to Syria.