New footage of Anadolu reveals Syria's infamous 'Palestine Branch' torture center

By Ahmet Karaahmet, Ethem Emre Ozcan

ISTANBUL (AA) - For the first time, Anadolu has captured the footage revealing the conditions at Syria's "Palestine Branch" (Far Falastin), a notorious detention and torture center under the collapsed Baath regime.

Built in the 1960s, the Palestine Branch in the capital Damascus was one of the regime's most infamous facilities for interrogation and abuse.

The regime named it Palestine in an attempt to mask its grim purpose, hoping to associate the name with innocence.

Thousands of detainees, especially those accused of terrorism, were held in the center for years, enduring torture and being cut off from their families.

Anadolu documented the site, exposing the inhumane conditions that have long instilled fear in Syrians.

Records from the site show that detainees were held in overcrowded cells under brutal conditions.

Inmates' writings on the walls describe the basement areas, where people were kept in small cells and dormitories, which they called a "nightmare."

These sections lacked proper ventilation, forcing detainees to sleep in the dark and cold, packed closely together.

Mold was also pervasive in the lower levels of the building.

- Regime forces burn documents before fleeing

Prisoners, deprived of their freedom, carved their suffering and hopes into the walls using olive pits.

Among the inscriptions were Turkish phrases like "Cimbom GS," a Turkish football team, and "Canim memleketim 34 Istanbul" (My dear homeland 34 Istanbul).

Arabic messages such as "We sought refuge in you, Ali," "I miss you," "Mother," "The hardest goodbye," "God, save us," "This nightmare will end tomorrow," and "Humanity is betrayal, lies, and oppression" were also found.

The walls were covered with drawings, lists of friends who had been imprisoned, calendars, and graffiti, along with marks counting the days and personal journals.

When the Assad regime collapsed on Dec. 8, officials set fire to documents before fleeing the building.

Anadolu also captured images of burned files and documents stacked in the administrative areas.

Bashar Assad, who ruled Syria for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia on Dec. 8 after anti-regime groups seized control of Damascus.

The takeover followed a swift, two-week offensive by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) fighters, who captured key cities across the country.

*Writing by Beril Canakci