Sednaya Prisoners Form Association to Expose Assad Regime Torture
An Association Is Formed to Advocate for Syrian Revolution Prisoners
A new association has been established in Damascus, Syria, to bring attention to the plight of Syrian revolution prisoners. The “Syrian Revolution Prisoners Association” was announced at an event in the capital city, which was attended by survivors of Syrian prisons and relatives of prisoners who have either lost their lives or remain missing.
The event, held in Sednaya, began with the reading of a statement from a former prisoner who had been released. There was also a demonstration highlighting the human rights abuses suffered by prisoners in Syrian prisons. Hüseyin Nader, a founding member of the association who had been held in Sednaya Prison in the past, expressed the association’s goals.
Nader stated, “The aim of the Association is to document the persecution of prisoners, defend the rights of prisoners and those who have lost their lives, demand justice for the crimes committed, and foster solidarity among survivors and victim families.”
Mustafa Huluk, a 62-year-old father who lost two sons in Sednaya Prison, shared his heartbreaking story at the event. He recounted how his sons were arrested in 2014, and he only learned of their whereabouts in Sednaya three years later. Despite visiting them four times, the last information he received was that they had been moved to another location shortly before the regime was overthrown.
“I really want to see my sons. I believe they are still alive somewhere. If I see them, then I die, it’s okay,” Huluk expressed with a heavy heart.
Zeynep Bendi, another attendee at the event, has been unable to receive any news about her son since 2013. She appealed for assistance from the new administration and the international community to uncover the fate of prisoners like her son.
Manal Zeyneddin shared that her brother was arrested by Assad regime forces in 2022, adding another heartbreaking story to the growing list of families impacted by the Syrian conflict.
The formation of the Syrian Revolution Prisoners Association is a crucial step in shedding light on the injustices faced by prisoners and their families and advocating for their rights in the aftermath of the Syrian revolution.
