Syria’s prison records vital for war crimes evidence

​​​​​​​By Mahmut Geldi

ISTANBUL (AA) - Fadl Abdulghani, head of the Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR), emphasized the importance of preserving prison and detention center archives in Syria to uncover the fate of detainees and identify those responsible for torture and other war crimes.

Abdulghani told Anadolu that after the fall of the 61-year-old Baath regime, it is critical to communicate with former detainees and document their experiences of torture.

Thousands of prisoners were released Sunday in Syria after anti-regime groups captured the national capital of Damascus.

The former regime leader Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia where they were given asylum, marking the collapse of the Baath Party, which had been in power since 1963.

The Sednaya Military Prison, 30 kilometers (19 miles) from Damascus, became a site for mass executions and torture after 2011, with thousands killed and subjected to inhumane conditions.

Abdulghani noted that the archives contain key details about the fate of detainees and the identities of perpetrators, which can help in identifying known and unknown torturers.

“By comparing the information in these archives with SNHR’s own data, we can learn more about the people released and those who died under torture,” said Abdulghani.

He highlighted the need to focus on records from security services and detention centers.

- Archives as keys to justice

Abdulghani also pointed out notorious centers of torture under the regime, including branches of the Syrian Air Force Intelligence, particularly in Damascus, Aleppo, Hama and Homs.

He described the Damascus branch of the Air Force Intelligence as the worst, noting it had a large building specifically designed for torture.

He stressed that the records could play a significant role in delivering justice, including detailing the release of prisoners and the effect of those releases on justice processes.

“We must ensure that the release process is thoroughly reviewed to avoid letting real criminals out and potentially harming families seeking justice,” said Abdulghani.

He also expressed concerns about arbitrary releases, which could undermine the justice system and lead to more injustice for political detainees.

He called urged a well-organized release process that would prevent such risks.

- Risks of arbitrary releases and evidence destruction

Regarding the preservation of archival material, Abdulghani emphasized the importance of protecting administrative buildings in prisons.

He warned that any damage to the buildings could destroy critical evidence, including name lists of detainees, affecting efforts to address the fate of enforced disappearances.

The SNHR estimates that the number of enforced disappearances in Syria ranges between 96,000 and 100,000, with recent reports suggesting the figure could reach 200,000.

Abdulghani said more than 11,000 photos, known as "Caesar photos," taken by a military photographer named Caesar, document the torture and deaths of victims under the regime, offering crucial evidence of war crimes.

“These photos serve as a powerful historical record,” he said, noting their potential to bring perpetrators to justice.

Caesar's photographs, first made public by Anadolu in 2014, are significant evidence of the regime's brutal tactics, including torture and starvation, used against detainees during the civil war.