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Families of Prisoners by Bashar al-AssadThe brutal regime searched the filthy cells desperately Syriais the most notorious prison for any signs of their loved ones like earth come to terms with the overthrow of his rule.
Sednaya prison, dubbed a “human slaughterhouse” by rights groups, is believed to have housed thousands of people detained, tortured or executed during Syria’s civil war that began in 2011. Located north of Damascus, it has become a focus for hundreds of families seeking answers about what happened to their relatives.
It comes as Israel, USA and Turkey have also launched airstrikes on locations across the country to protect their interests after rebels led by the Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) forced Assad to flee, while former supporters of the ousted Syrian president Russia and Iran is also suggesting it will reach out to the rebels – with Moscow wary of the fate of its military bases in the country.
Inside the prison, countless families searched the dark corridors and hidden cells of the labyrinthine complex for traces of loved ones detained for attending protests, defying the authorities or simply expressing discontent.
Ahmed Najjar came to Damascus from Aleppo, hoping to find his brother’s two children, who were seized by Assad’s security forces in 2012. “We’re looking. They say there’s an underground prison,” he said.
After thousands were released from prison after being released on Sunday, rumors spread that thousands more were still locked up in inaccessible underground cells. The White Helmets rescue organization, which has spent years digging through collapsed buildings after airstrikes, has deployed a team but said Monday afternoon that it had yet to find any evidence of such cells. Several times the breach revealed a hidden corridor, prompting insurgent volleys to alert the waiting thousands. Cries rose from the crowd, such as “My son, I’m coming, I’m coming” or “God, please don’t let me down.”
The scenes around Sedneya were a sign of the difficulties the country will have to make up for after decades of rule by the Assad family, as the rest of the world tries to quickly sort out how to deal with the Islamist-led rebels who now control the capital, amid fears of a power vacuum in a region already facing the war in Gaza and the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon. Israel, involved in those conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, seized control of a previously demilitarized buffer zone in Syrian-held territory in the Golan Heights and attacked what it said were Assad regime weapons depots with airstrikes.
Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, said the strikes were intended to prevent weapons from falling into the hands of those who would seek to harm Israel. “That’s why we attacked strategic weapons systems, for example, remaining chemical weapons, or long-range missiles and rockets so that they don’t fall into the hands of extremists,” he said. The US has been targeting ISIS-linked targets in central Syria, while Turkey has targeted Kurdish forces backed by Washington.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called Assad – who the Kremlin said had been granted asylum in Russia – a “monster” with “the blood of countless innocents on his hands” and that his defeat was also a “humiliation” for Moscow and Tehran.
“Assad is a rat from Damascus, running to Moscow with his tail between his legs. How should he end up there,” Mr Lammy said.
But Mr Lammy said the fall of Assad brought “no guarantee of peace” and that nations were wary of HTS and its leader known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani, who now prefers to use his formal name Ahmad al-Sharaa, with given that HTS began as an offshoot of al-Qaeda. HTS cut ties with the jihadists years ago and has sought to create a more moderate image. Mr Lammy said HTS was still a banned terrorist organization in the UK and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said no decision was pending on delisting HTS “at all… it’s too soon”.
Mr Lammy said: “We will judge HTS by their actions, watching carefully how they and the other parties to this conflict treat all civilians in the areas they control”. The foreign minister added that the group had so far “offered reassurances” to minorities in Syria and pledged to work with the international community to monitor chemical weapons.
On Monday, a collection of rebel groups led by HTS announced they would amnesty all conscripts into Assad’s army, while the rebel command also suggested it would not tell women how to dress. “Interfering with women’s dressing or imposing any requirement regarding their clothing or appearance, including requirements for modesty, is strictly prohibited,” the command said. in a statement.
Assad’s prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, told Al Arabiya TV that he had agreed to hand over power to the rebels, and Al Jazeera television reported that the transitional government would be headed by Mohamed al-Bashir.
International leaders said it was a moment of hope for Syria, and it was reflected on the ground. Fares Wati, in Idlib, northwest Syria, said: “As Syrians, this day is a historic turning point for us. All over the country, in cities and villages, Syria is experiencing an immense joy the likes of which it has not known for decades. Today, the Syrian people have freed themselves from the grip of Assad’s rule, which has turned the country into his personal fiefdom for so long.”
He added: “These historic moments restore hope to the Syrian people and open a new chapter of dignity and freedom. The joy we witness today is a testament to the resilience and determination of the Syrian people, who have never lost hope for a better future.”
Ibrahim Olabi, a native of Aleppo who has family there and is a board member of the Syrian British Consortium, said the international community now needed to step up: “We need some involvement and support for Syrians to rebuild their country.”
Syrians in neighboring countries like Turkey, where millions have fled civil war, are lining up at the border to return. Turkey is opening its Yayladagi border gate to manage the safe and voluntary return of Syrian migrants it hosts, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.
The UK has also announced that it has paused decisions on asylum applications from Syrians. Thousands of Syrians have been granted asylum in the UK, but the Home Office said decisions on claims will now be put on hold while events unfold in Damascus. The UK followed countries including Germany, Austria and Sweden in suspending decisions on Syrian cases. Syrians generated the fifth highest number of asylum applications in the UK in the year ending September 2024, Home Office statistics showed – behind Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Bangladesh.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We know that the situation in Syria is evolving extremely quickly after the fall of the Assad regime. We have seen some people returning to Syria. We also have a very rapidly evolving situation that we need to monitor very closely.
“And that’s why, like Germany, France and other countries, we have paused asylum decisions in cases from Syria, while the Ministry of the Interior reviews and monitors the current situation.”
Additional reporting by Abdalghany al-Arian in Aleppo
Reuters contributed to this report