Caesar Files revealing gruesome crimes in Syrian prisons revisited after Assad regime's fall

By Zeynep Katre Oran and Aynur Seyma Asan

ANKARA (AA) – The Caesar Files, an unsettling collection of tens of thousands of photographs exposing the horrors and systematic torture in Syrian prisons during Bashar al-Assad's reign, are being revisited after the regime’s collapse.

The fall of Syria’s Baath regime, which held power for 61 years, has renewed focus on its infamous prisons—long associated with systematic torture—and the thousands of detainees who died in captivity.

The images, captured by a military photographer codenamed Caesar during the civil war, depict bodies transferred from prisons to military hospitals. These photographs are believed to document the deaths of around 11,000 victims tortured by regime forces.

The injuries visible in the images reveal the harrowing abuse inflicted on detainees within these facilities.

- 'At one point, Caesar will show his face to the world, and everyone will know this hero'

Mouaz Moustafa, the executive director of the US-based Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), spoke with Anadolu about the Caesar photographs and their significance in legal proceedings.

Moustafa highlighted the SETF's ongoing efforts since 2011 to document war crimes and hold regime perpetrators accountable.

He explained that the SETF has assumed responsibility for preserving the Caesar photographs, which vividly expose the regime’s crimes. He also noted that the necessary funding has been secured to protect key witnesses, including Caesar and others who use aliases.

Moustafa described efforts to present the Caesar Files to international bodies, including the European Parliament, the UK Parliament, the US Congress, and the United Nations. These efforts culminated in the passage of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act in the US, which he called instrumental in isolating the Assad regime.

Enacted on June 17, 2020, the law imposes sanctions on individuals and entities supporting the Syrian regime and its allies, including Russia and Iran.

Reflecting on his interactions with Caesar, Moustafa shared an emotional moment they experienced on the day the Assad regime fell. "We cried together for a while," he said.

He expressed confidence that Caesar would one day reveal his identity, stating: "At one point, Caesar will show his face to the world, and everyone will know this hero."

- Horrors of Sednaya Prison

Moustafa described the dire conditions in Sednaya Prison, where most cells are located underground. He also mentioned other undisclosed underground prisons, which a task force is working to identify.

He elaborated on the inhumane conditions in Sednaya, where detainees are crammed into overcrowded rooms, often forced to stand due to lack of space. Without light, ventilation, sanitation, or sufficient food, the environment is intolerable. "You go to the bathroom once, and on the way, you get beaten up ... or are horribly injured," he said.

The Caesar photographs provide grim evidence of these conditions, showing emaciated bodies of those who starved to death, injuries indicating electric shocks and acid burns, and other brutal torture methods. Children and the elderly are among the victims, underscoring the regime's indiscriminate cruelty.

- Global impact of the Caesar Files

First revealed by Anadolu in 2014, the 55,000 photographs captured by Caesar sparked international outrage, exposing the Assad regime’s systematic use of torture, starvation, and execution.

Reflecting on the global response, Moustafa voiced his frustration over the lack of action. "There was a lot of outrage, but absolutely no action, and the international community has shamed itself, a shame that they will all take to the grave about the inaction," he said.

He also criticized organizations such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) for failing to prosecute those responsible for the regime’s crimes.

"The ICC didn’t even put out an arrest warrant or open a case. But now, God willing, we will have a court in Damascus, and we will hold accountable these war criminals, including Bashar al-Assad, who ordered and tortured these prisoners," he said.

- Sednaya: A center of atrocities

Reports from international organizations describe Sednaya Military Prison, located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Damascus, as a hub of systematic atrocities since the uprising began in March 2011.

Initially used to detain peaceful protesters, Sednaya became notorious for holding thousands of regime opponents in degrading conditions.

According to these reports, detainees were subjected to relentless torture, starvation, and deliberate deprivation of basic necessities, including water, medicine, and medical care.

The systematic nature of these abuses highlights the regime’s calculated efforts to silence dissent and crush opposition.

With the reopening of the Caesar Files, renewed attention is being directed toward the Assad regime’s crimes, offering the victims a glimmer of hope for justice and accountability.