Former prisoner speaks out against abuse in Syrian prisons
Ahmed Hilmi, survivor of one of the most notorious prisons in the Baath regime, is advocating for justice for thousands of victims subjected to torture, human rights abuses, and killings in Syrian prisons. On December 12 2024, according to news agency Anadolu Ajansı in an interview with Hilmi, he claimed in addition to horrific beatings and torture, prisoners basic needs were not met, causing illness and death.
The ousting of Assad and subsequent fall of the regime on December 8, 2024 facilitated the release of anti-regime prisoners held in various prisons and detention centres across Syria. Hilmi himself, was held in one of the most notorious prisons of the region, Sednaya.
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Hilmi was a civil engineering student in Damascus when protests against the regime began in 2011. He became a target himself, after getting involved in the protests.
After five months of imprisonment, he was transferred to a state prison, where his loved ones were finally notified of his location and allowed to visit him.
Hilmi details the extent of the abuses, asserting how his own mother didn’t recognise him the first time she came to visit him. “For five months, no one knew if I was alive. When my mother saw me, she hesitated; she couldn’t recognize me. I had lost 35 kilograms, my hair had fallen out, and my appearance had completely changed.”
In fact, his mother was only able to verify his identity through use of a secret code word they had shared with each other.
Hilmi detailed the conditions in Sednaya Prison, as comparable to the circles of hell in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. “There are no windows, no fresh air, and the fluorescent lights are on 24/7, making it impossible to tell night from day.”
Prisoners were housed in overcrowded cells, with no toilets or water, and offered only minimal food. Many passed due to starvation, untreated illness, or poor hygiene. This was described by Hilmi as “only 10% of the suffering that occurs in Syrian prisons.”
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Hilmi points to the importance of the “Caesar photos’ in documenting the abhorrent conditions in these prisons. These photos were captured by a military photographer with the code name ‘Caesar.’ Hilmi believes these to be a key source of evidence for bringing some semblance of justice for victims.
Post-release, Hilmi founded ‘Ta’afi’, a charity supporting torture victims, inspired by his own experience and the disappearance of his best friend, Islam, who also disappeared in 2011. It was not until three years later Hilmi was told Islam had died under torture at the hands of the regime.
Hilmi has also expressed disappointment with the international community, citing it`s failures to take any decisive action against Assad`s regime.
Hilmi concluded in arguing that the international system is corrupt, weak, and ineffective. Justice must prevail for the victims of these human rights abuses, despite the fact the perpetrators have fled Syria.
Anadolu Ajansı
