IDLIB, Syria, Dec 16 (IPS) – Imprisoned for more than three years without trial for allegedly hosting “terrorists” (as they were thought to be opponents of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad), Alaa al-Khalil, 33, a nurse an elderly man from the Syrian city of Hama, recounts the pain of his time in the cell where he lived with at least 35 women.
He was released from Aydnaya prison on December 8 after the fall of the Assad regime.
After the fall of Assad’s regime and his escape to Moscow on December 8, armed opposition groups were able to open the prison doors, freeing hundreds of prisoners who had endured horrific torture for opposing Assad’s rule and demanding his ouster. Many lost their lives in prisons and were buried in mass cemeteries, while the families of those imprisoned continue to search for their loved ones lost in brutal prisons.
Years of Torture
“I was arrested in the search center of the former Syrian regime and then sent to the Political Branch in Damascus—handcuffed, blindfolded. In the prison, we were 35 women in a small cramped and punishing room. A toilet in one room, without any privacy,” Khalil told IPS. “The signs of severe torture were clearly visible on some of the women. As for sleeping, we slept on the floor and took turns sleeping because of the size of the room. What was very sad was that there were many pregnant women who gave birth to children who grew up inside the prison.”
At the time, he said, the prisoners suffered from “hunger, cold, and all kinds of torture, including beatings, burning with cigarettes, and pulling nails.”
Many female prisoners were raped and subjected to sexual violence as a form of punishment. After midnight, the guards came to the prisoners’ room to choose the most beautiful girls to take to the officers’ rooms.
“We chose torture and even death over rape. If the girl refused to have sex or confessed to her crimes during questioning, she was killed by guards or investigators, and her body was thrown into a salt chamber, which was supposed to answer for herself. She prepared in advance to keep the bodies for as long as possible,” she said, crying remembering the trauma. everyday.
Khalil confirms that the prisoners were not allowed to look at the guards, speak, or make any noise, even during torture. They were punished by being starved of water or forced to sleep naked without covering in the freezing cold. This food was a few bites of spoiled food, and many people contracted serious illnesses, diseases and mental disorders.
Now freed, Khalil hopes to enjoy safety, stability, and peace in this country after years of oppression and injustice.
Adnan al-Ibrahim, 46, from the southern Syrian city of Daraa, was also released a few days ago from Adra prison on the outskirts of Damascus after spending more than ten years there on charges of defecting from Bashar al-Assad’s army and seeking asylum. Lebanon.
“I feel like I’m dreaming after I got out of prison. They charged me with terrorism, they tortured me, and I was never brought before the court when I was arrested. I’m still frustrated by what I endured,” said Ibrahim. .
“We have been mistreated in prisons. What we want now is the right to live a dignified life, away from injustice, arbitrary detentions, and ongoing killings in Syria.”
Now she is thin and weak—she has lost a lot of weight due to malnutrition and junk food. Many of his fellow prisoners were suffering from life-threatening illnesses as a result of the torture they endured. Many prisoners lost their memory due to blows to the head during interrogation, and the bodies of the dead were left for a long time before being exhumed. Many of these bodies were disposed of by burning.
He is burdened by Psychological Prauma
Samah Barakat, a 33-year-old mental health specialist, says that survivors of detention centers in Syria will need help to overcome their trauma.
‘The experience of being arrested and tortured in prisons is painful and traumatic for the survivors. Imprisonment is not limited to physical torture; attitude is also affected. Prisoners were subjected to various forms of torture and oppression, which led to severe mental deterioration. These results include a range of psychological problems such as mental illness, memory loss, and speech impediments, in addition to the spread of diseases due to their lack of basic medical care. “
Barakat confirms that some inmates may experience physical, psychological, and behavioral consequences, including persistent anxiety, depression, and social withdrawal.
He explains that survivors of incarceration need psychological support, which varies depending on the impact of incarceration. Some need counseling or therapy sessions with a professional, while others need medication prescribed by a psychiatrist for depression or other mental illnesses.
Unknown Fate
For others, uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones means the trauma of the Assad regime continues.
Alaa al-Omar, 52, from the northern Syrian city of Idlib, went to Saydnaya prison and the Palestine Branch in Damascus after the fall of the Assad regime, hoping to find his son, who disappeared deep inside the prison.
“I went to the prison with great anticipation, but I didn’t find any trace of my son. I think he died because of torture.”
Omar confirms that his son was arrested by the forces of the Assad regime in 2015 while studying at the university of Aleppo, accused of participating in demonstrations, carrying weapons, and joining opposition groups.
Omar indicates that he has not heard from his son or his son since his arrest, and his fate is still unknown.
Violation of Human Rights
Human rights activist, Salim Al-Najjar (41), from Aleppo, talks about the suffering of survivors of detention and told IPS that the history of building prisons and expanding detention centers in Syria since the rule of Hafez al-Assad, his regime. in the 1980s he used a lot of force against his opponents, turning the country into a “big killing ground.”
“In state prisons, lives are like stones in the hands of a sculptor, they are killed and thrown away without attention or value. In them, a person becomes a mere figure with a history, his feelings, and even the dreams that have haunted him until now.” the last minute of their lives is ignored,” said Najjar.
Al-Najjar confirms the existence of many prisons in Syria, but the Saydnaya prison, located north of the Syrian capital, Damascus, is known as the most prominent political detention center in Syria and has a terrible reputation as a place of torture and mass. executions, especially after the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011. Saydnaya prison was where Assad’s opponents or his rebels were imprisoned. the army or those who reject his “killing policy.”
He points out that few detainees are released by being connected with their families or by bribery, while the detainees are left to die of wounds and untreated diseases in “dirty, overcrowded” cells.
He notes that many prisoners come out of the cells suffering from mental loss, unable to remember their names or describe themselves, and due to severe changes caused by malnutrition and brutal abuse, their condition has changed so much that their families have changed. they did not see at first.
Najjar hopes to achieve justice for the victims by presenting evidence and documents to international courts and holding Assad and all perpetrators of violations in Syria accountable.
The Syrian Network for Human Rights said in a statementon December 11 that Assad is accused of killing at least 202,000 Syrian citizens, including 15,000 who were killed under torture, the disappearance of 96,000 others, and the displacement of nearly 13 million Syrian citizens, as well as other horrific violations, including the use of chemical weapons. weapons.
“Syria’s detention centers and torture houses symbolize the misery, oppression, and suffering Syrians have endured for decades. Survivors of detention continue to heal their wounds and fight to return to their normal lives and reintegrate into society. Sadly, a significant number of those perished under torture.
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© Inter Press Service (2024) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
