What went on inside Syria's Saydnaya prison, dubbed 'human slaughterhouse'
What's the story
Syrian rebel fighters belonging to the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an Islamist militant group, released hundreds of prisoners on Sunday from the Saydnaya military prison as they marched toward Damascus.
The prison, located 30km north of Damascus, Syria, has received the horrific title of a "human slaughterhouse" over the alleged atrocities committed there.
Built in 1987 to house 5,000 inmates, the prison's population surged to 10,000-20,000 in 2017 after the Syrian conflict began in March 2011.
Mass executions
Thousands executed in 'Policy of extermination'
In the first six years after the 2011 uprising, as many as 13,000 people were reportedly hanged.
Amnesty International identified most detainees as activists, Islamists, and government opponents and described these executions as part of a "policy of extermination."
Survivors have shared horrific tales of extreme torture and rape behind the prison walls and how they were methodically denied basic necessities like food, water, and medicine.
Prison life
Harrowing conditions and brutal interrogation techniques
According to AFP, the prison's solitary confinement cells, measuring a mere 1.80 by two meters or two by 2.5 meters, often housed up to 15 people with little to no light.
Group cells were even more cramped, housing up to 28 prisoners.
On arrival at Saydnaya, detainees were severely beaten with silicone or metal bars or electric cables.
Amnesty International's report from 2016 detailed extreme physical abuse during interrogations, including techniques such as dulab and falaqa.
Human rights violations
High death toll and crimes against humanity
"Common methods included dulab (forcibly contorting the victim's body into a rubber tyre) and falaqa (flogging on the soles of the feet)," it said.
The prisoners also faced electric shocks or rape and sexual violence, had their fingernails or toenails pulled out, were scalded with hot water, or burned with cigarettes.
Executions were also carried out secretly and authorized by high-level officials, including the Grand Mufti of Syria and senior military officials acting on behalf of President Bashar al-Assad.
Liberation
Prisoners' ordeal and subsequent release amid regime change
When it comes to rules, Saydnaya's judicial processes are mainly arbitrary. However, sentencing is subject to approval by the Syrian president and the Minister of Defense; high-level officials approve every punishment, including death sentences and continuous incarceration.
Prisoners' trials often last 2-3 minutes, and they are not provided proper legal representation or protection.
During these trials, judges depend on inmates' forced confessions gained through torture.
Houses
20 people hanged at once
Those sentenced are transported to Saydnaya's white building, which is notorious for hosting the "execution room," where up to 20 people may be hanged at once.
The execution room was expanded in 2012 to accommodate the rapid influx of inmates who began arriving at Saydnaya in 2011.
The other building is the "red building," which houses civilian detainees.
The "white building" holds military captives, and each building has solitaires and group rooms, according to the Atlantic Council.