The recent rebel takeover of Sednaya Prison in Syria, notorious for its horrific conditions and dubbed a “human slaughterhouse,” has unveiled a new, terrifying chapter. While thousands of prisoners have been freed in the chaotic aftermath, reports are emerging of inaccessible underground cells, raising fears that numerous detainees remain trapped within the prison’s depths. The situation underscores the brutal legacy of the Syrian conflict and the urgent need for a swift and effective rescue mission.
The Syrian Civil Defence, better known as the White Helmets, a volunteer organization renowned for its rescue work in conflict zones, has responded swiftly. Five specialized emergency teams have been deployed to Sednaya Prison, facing a formidable challenge. Their efforts involve navigating complex subterranean passages, breaching walls, forcing open iron doors, and locating potential survivors with the aid of trained search and rescue dogs. The operation’s complexity is further hampered by challenging security conditions and traffic congestion, as the White Helmets themselves have confirmed on X (formerly Twitter).
“Two teams arrived approximately an hour ago and have commenced their mission, guided by someone familiar with the prison’s layout,” the White Helmets announced. “The remaining teams are gradually arriving, delayed due to challenging security conditions on the roads and heavy traffic congestion.” The urgency of the situation is palpable, as images and videos circulating online depict scenes of mass prisoner releases, with thousands leaving the prison, some after years of incarceration. The sheer scale of the exodus underscores the prison’s vast capacity and the potential magnitude of those still missing.
The Damascus Countryside Governorate has added another layer of complexity to the rescue operation, appealing via social media to former Assad regime soldiers and prison workers. Their plea? To provide the rebel forces with codes for electronic underground doors, preventing the release of what they claim are “more than 100,000 detainees visible on CCTV monitors.” This startling claim highlights the potential scale of the problem, suggesting the existence of vast, hidden areas within the complex.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reports that rescue workers are employing innovative tactics. They’re using a type of post to break through a lower wall, revealing a dark space behind. While these efforts represent a small portion of the broader rescue initiative, they illustrate the determination to find and free anyone who remains trapped. The liberation of Sednaya Prison, initially met with jubilation, has now become a desperate race against time, highlighting the enduring human cost of the Syrian conflict and the immense challenges in ensuring all detainees are accounted for and freed.
Adding to the complexities, the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, which participated in the prison takeover, reported freeing over 3,500 detainees from Homs Military Prison on Saturday. However, the focus remains squarely on Sednaya, a site that a 2022 report by the Turkey-based Association of Detainees and The Missing in Sednaya Prison (ADMSP) described as “effectively become a death camp” since the start of the Syrian civil war. The ongoing rescue operation at Sednaya represents a grim reminder of the ongoing human rights crisis in Syria and the desperate fight for survival within its shadow.
