By Oula Mahfouz and Youssef Kanjou
Trigger warning: This text contains descriptions of physical and psychological violence.
“If there had been no other reason for the revolution in Syria against the regime than Saydnaya Prison, it would have been enough,” said some Syrians when photos and videos from Saydnaya Prison were shown after the fall of Assad on December 8 this year. What is the history of this prison and why did Amnesty International call it a “human slaughterhouse”? Why did the people of Syria call it the “red prison” and how did the Assad regime spread information about torture methods to terrify the Syrian population?
Foundation and location Saydnaya military prison was founded in 1987 under Hafiz al-Assad, the father of ousted President Bashar al-Assad. It is located 30 kilometers north of Damascus in a mountainous area near the predominantly Christian town of Saydnaya, which is known for its historic monasteries. The prison was designed by a Soviet engineering firm as a high-security facility far away from cities. It was originally intended for military prisoners, but soon became a detention center for political opponents and Islamists, especially after the clashes in the 1980s between the regime and the Muslim Brotherhood. It was a central part of the regime’s strategy to consolidate the power of the security and military authorities. Further information: forensic-architecture | saydnaya
Before the revolution (1987 to 2011)
Before 2011, there were numerous reports of abuse inside the prison, including torture, executions and enforced disappearances. In 2008, an uprising broke out inside the prison, which was brutally suppressed by the authorities, resulting in the deaths of numerous prisoners. One of the prison’s buildings became known as the “red prison” because of the walls stained with the blood of those killed.
During the Syrian revolution (2011 to 2024)
With the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011, the role of Saydnaya Prison as an instrument of repression by the regime increased. Since then, more than 30,000 people have reportedly been detained in the prison, mostly political opponents or civilians accused of opposing the regime. Further information: SPIEGEL | Amnesty accuses Syria of mass executions
Amnesty International report
In a 2017 Amnesty International report entitled “Human Slaughterhouse”, the prison was described as a center for mass executions and systematic torture. Between 2011 and 2015, 13,000 people were executed after show trials that lasted only a few minutes. Prisoners were deprived of food and medical care, leading to daily deaths. Amnesty | Human Slaughter House
Caesar’s photos
In 2014, a Syrian defector who called himself “Caesar” escaped Syria with more than 55,000 photos documenting the bodies of some 11,000 victims killed under torture in Syrian prisons, including Saydnaya. Caesar presented these photos to the US Congress, where he showed them during a hearing on the abuses committed by the Syrian regime. These images contributed to the international pressure that led to the passage of the so-called Caesar Act to protect Syrian civilians and the imposition of sanctions against the regime. Further information: hrw | The stories behind the photos of killed prisoners
Report of a victim
Mazen Hamadas, a survivor of torture in Saydnaya prison, reported on the cruel mistreatment and inhumane conditions that led to the death of many prisoners. He later became a key witness to the regime’s crimes in Europe. He returned to Damascus in 2020 under mysterious circumstances, allegedly after threats against his family. After the fall of the regime, his body was found with severe signs of torture. His funeral took place in Damascus on December 12, 2024. Further information: BR | Syria’s horrors
Torture methods and cruel violations
Many physical and psychological torture methods are documented. For example, prisoners were denied food and water, so that many drank their own urine in order to survive. Rape and the threat of rape were used to force confessions or humiliate prisoners. In 2017, the US government revealed that incinerators existed in the prison to dispose of the bodies of inmates killed daily. These have been integrated into the building since 2013. To dispose of the bodies, the regime created salt-filled chambers to preserve the bodies before burying them in mass graves. Further information: Amnesty | About Sadnaya
The first trial on torture in Syria
In April 2020, the world’s first trial on Syrian torture against two former officials of the Assad regime began in Germany.
Anwar R. was sentenced to life imprisonment in January 2022 for crimes against humanity, including torture and murder.
Eyad A. received four and a half years in prison for aiding and abetting torture in February 2021.
The testimonies of 29 survivors and reports from human rights organizations played a central role.
ECCHR | State torture trial in Syria
The end of horror
After the fall of the Assad regime on December 8, 2024, new atrocities were uncovered in Saydnaya Prison. Opposition forces discovered secret rooms and cellars that were previously unknown. Machines were found that were used to shred the bodies after death. Thousands of Syrians gathered outside the prison to search for their missing loved ones. Most of the survivors of the prison were mentally and physically scarred or had lost their minds. Some Syrians say that Saydnaya Prison was not just a detention center, but a death camp and a factory for the destruction of human dignity. The fall of the Assad regime could open the way to justice.
newarab sadnaya prison
Dark legacy and demands for justice
The Assad regime, both father and son, became the subject of prison literature, reflecting the tragedies of oppression, pain, injustice and tyranny. Many books were published internationally. Among them is “The Shell” by Mustafa Khalifa, which has been translated into German.
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Sednaya Prison in Syria. Photo: tuenews INTERNATIONAL / Mohamed Kamal.
