The smell of rotten eggs and the voice asking to be let out… The “hellish scene” seen by a participant in the recapture of a Syrian “torture prison

Combatants and university students together…

The dictatorship that has lasted more than half a century in Syria collapsed on August 8 due to the advance of rebel forces led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a Sunni Islamist armed group. In various prisons, many inmates who were considered “political prisoners” under the Assad regime were rescued.

We spoke with a man who accompanied the rebels to Adra prison, located on the outskirts of the capital Damascus, and was involved in the release of these inmates.

Omar, 23, a medical student living in Damascus, was in contact with dissident fighters on December 7 when he and his fellow university students gathered in the city. They had received information that the rebels were moving south toward Damascus, and were discussing a plan to cooperate with them.

We were students,” he said, “and we had never carried weapons. But we have studied medicine and pharmaceuticals at university. So we decided to help liberate the prison. We thought we would be in charge of first aid and transporting inmates to the hospital.

Omar and his team prepared first-aid supplies and joined the rebels on the outskirts of Damascus before dawn on August 8. About 100 rebel fighters, as well as many volunteers and medical personnel, gathered and headed for Adra prison.

We are on the rebel side,” he said. We are here to liberate you.
Damascus will be a free city. Calm down and stay inside.

The HTS fighters used megaphones to shout repeatedly to the inmates inside.

According to Omar, the dissidents engaged in a several-minute firefight with the guards outside the prison. In some sections, grenades were also used. However, the guards did not attack any further, probably because they realized that the prison was completely surrounded.

even young children and women.

The fighters carefully entered the prison to avoid scaring or harming the inmates. Once they were sure it was safe, Omar and the other volunteers followed.

There was a strange, indescribable smell, like a rotten egg. The inmates were looking at us with appealing eyes and shouting, ‘Let us out. ‘ I tried desperately to cheer them up, telling them it was all right, that they could all be free.”

Omar recalled his first steps inside the prison.

Mr. Bassel, who was interviewed in our previous article (“Rats tried to eat inmates’ bodies… Man who spent 3.5 years in Syrian ‘torture prison’ tells of ‘hellish days'”), was one of the inmates of this prison. He said he still does not believe in the fall of the Assad regime and feels like he is dreaming.

Most Syrians, including me, have been living under the Assad regime since we were born,” he said. We have always wanted freedom, but when people say, ‘Freedom! ‘, but when they say it, it doesn’t really hit home.

Adra prison is divided into several sections, housing not only those caught for opposing the regime, but also prisoners caught for serious crimes such as murder and drug trafficking. Scattered throughout the office are documents containing the names and crimes of the inmates, and it was necessary to use these documents to find out how each person was detained.

The prison holds 2,500 inmates, but according to Omar, the actual number of inmates is about 9,500. Some of them were young women and children.

The uniforms worn by the guards were found in several places, including near the entrances, where they had been removed. There was no doubt that the guards were among the inmates. It seems that some of them were detained, but some may have escaped.

In the building where the cells are located, we found several pieces of equipment that were apparently used for torture. Some of the cells were left with filthy waste still in them. The humidity inside the cells was high and the air was heavy.

There were people with injured legs who could not walk on their own, people with multiple broken ribs, people who were malnourished, and people who could not communicate at all due to psychological damage. …… Not a single person could be called healthy.”

Omar and his friends treated the inmates and others and transported them to the hospital in the order of those who were seriously injured. The release of the prison began early in the morning of August 8, but the transports and transfers continued throughout the day. Outside the prison, people were also seen searching for family and friends.

I knew the conditions were ugly, but actually setting foot in there made me more angry at the regime than ever. I was proud to be able to help the dissidents in this way, but I also felt guilty for not having done anything before.”

While celebrating the fall of the regime, many people continue to wait for family and friends who have disappeared. It is estimated that the number of people who have remained detained and disappeared due to criticism of the regime or other reasons ranges from tens of thousands to over 100,000.