Why Syria's prisons were also known as 'human slaughterhouses'
What's the story
The fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime has exposed the horrific conditions of Syria's infamous prison system.
These detention facilities, now freed, were notorious for torture, starvation, and mass executions.
The end of Assad's rule was marked by an eight-day insurgent campaign that saw tens of thousands of detainees released from these brutal prisons.
Prisoner accounts
Freed detainees reveal horrors of Syria's prisons
Among those freed were women and children locked in overcrowded cells.
One heartbreaking video showed a toddler walking with his mother, both having been held captive for years.
Bashar Barhoum, a 63-year-old writer who spent seven months in prison, recounted his harrowing experience.
"I haven't seen the sun until today," he said, revealing he was scheduled for execution on the day of his release.
Infamous facility
Sednaya prison: A symbol of Assad's brutal regime
Sednaya prison, called Syria's "human slaughterhouse," was infamous for its inhumane treatment of prisoners.
The establishment was known for mass executions, with Amnesty International reporting as many as 13,000 secret executions between 2011 and 2016.
In 2013, a defector named Caesar smuggled out over 53,000 photographs out of Syria that revealed the extent of torture and death in these prisons.
Concealed chambers
Hidden underground cells: Syria's dark secret
Despite major prison liberations, many detainees remain trapped in hidden underground cells.
The White Helmets, a civil defense force in Syria, have launched missions to access these concealed chambers.
Their efforts at Sednaya prison suggest over 100,000 detainees might still be held underground.
Under Assad's regime, even minor acts of opposition could lead to imprisonment and families often received no information about detained loved ones for years.
Family reunions
Liberation brings mixed emotions for Syrian families
The liberation of these prisons has brought relief and pain to Syrian families. While some were able to reunite with their loved ones, others continue their search for missing relatives.
Rebel factions like Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) played key roles in the insurgency that freed thousands as they advanced through cities like Aleppo and Homs.
HTS declared the end of "the era of tyranny" in Sednaya, marking a significant turning point in Syria's history.