Syrian prison records must be preserved, releases monitored to ensure justice: Rights activist

By Muhammed Yusuf

ISTANBUL (AA) – Preserving Syrian prison records is crucial for uncovering the fate of detainees and forcibly disappeared people, as well as identifying the perpetrators of violations under the deposed regime, Fadel Abdul Ghani, the head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), told Anadolu.

This came as detainees continue to emerge from Syrian prisons, providing testimonies about torture and abuse, along with their physical scars that summarize the tragic reality they endured in the dungeons of the now-vanished Bashar al-Assad regime.

Anti-regime groups captured the capital, Damascus, on Sunday after regime forces withdrew from public institutions, marking the end of 61 years of the bloody Baath Party regime and 53 years of the Assad family’s rule.

Assad, who ruled Syria since July 2000 after his father, fled to Russia where he was given asylum.

- Torture centers

"The focus now should be on obtaining documents containing the names of those in charge of the security branches and their records and preserving them due to their critical importance,” Abdul Ghani said.

"The documents include intricate details that would help us identify those involved in acts of torture. At SNHR, we know some of them, but there are hundreds whose identities remain unknown,” added the Syrian rights activist.

He explained that "these documents can be cross-referenced with SNHR data. It's essential to identify the names of those released, those who died under torture, and other related details. This is crucial for uncovering the truth."

Regarding detention and torture centers under the Assad regime, Abdul Ghani highlighted the infamous security branches in Damascus, such as Al-Khatib Branch, Branch 215, and Air Force Intelligence, where detainees were often transferred after being held in other branches. These were among the most severe torture centers in Syria.

As for notorious prisons, he described them as "secondary, such as Sednaya Prison and Tadmor Prison."

The Air Force Intelligence branches in Aleppo, Hama, Homs, and Damascus “were the most brutal, with the Damascus branch being the worst due to its vast size and specialized torture wings,” he said.

- Regulating releases

Abdul Ghani called for regulating releases from detention centers “to maintain justice and preserve rights of detainees.”

“The random release of detainees without thorough review of their files could result in the release of individuals involved in crimes, causing additional harm to victims and their families,” he warned.

He stressed that such actions could be interpreted as a lack of seriousness in pursuing justice, undermining public trust in the judiciary and fostering a general sense of insecurity.

“Unorganized releases could be exploited by certain parties to justify the release of perpetrators, harm the political detainees' cause and weaken the credibility of human rights demands,” he added.

To ensure justice and avoid such problems, Abdul Ghani called for "clear and well-studied mechanisms for releases, a review of detainees' files, independent rights-based oversight, and communication with victims."

He also emphasized the need to "ensure the release of political detainees held arbitrarily by the Syrian regime and subjected to brutal torture."

- Syrian memory

Abdul Ghani asserted that preserving documents is the responsibility of the forces that have taken control.

“It's not just about opening prisons or allowing families to open them. A clear process of regulation is necessary,” he added.

“Prison administration buildings are crucial to retain records. Any tampering with them constitutes destruction of evidence and truth, undermining efforts to uncover the fate of forcibly disappeared individuals.”

The rights activist noted that 90% of forcibly disappeared individuals have yet to be found.

“Our comparison of released names with those missing shows that only a very small percentage – 1 to 10% - have been released."

Regarding these individuals, he stated, "We want to know their fate, where they were buried, and when it happened."

“Destroying documents is equivalent to erasing Syrian memory and evidence of violations against detainees," he added.

Abdul Ghani cautioned that this issue is "highly sensitive and dangerous. According to our database, between 96,000 and 100,000 individuals were forcibly disappeared, but this number could reach 200,000 as new cases continue to surface. This poses a significant risk affecting hundreds of thousands of Syrians."

Abdul Ghani concluded by emphasizing the historical importance of preserving documents, such as the "Caesar Files" under the Syria Civilian Protection Act.

“These documents must be analyzed and violations documented to pave the way for prosecuting perpetrators and holding them accountable,” he added.

A defector from the Assad regime, known as "Caesar," released photos of around 11,000 bodies of individuals who were killed under torture between May 2011 and August 2013. The images revealed the brutal torture methods used against detainees in regime facilities.

On Monday, Anadolu documented efforts to search for secret sections within Sednaya Prison in Damascus, one of the most infamous torture centers under the Assad regime.

Syrians have said that the fall of the Assad regime signifies the end of a terrifying era that they endured for decades, with its prisons representing nightmares due to systematic torture, abuse, and enforced disappearances.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala