Documents from Political Security Prisons Reveal a System of Torture and Death
Sky News has uncovered the shocking extent of the Assad regime’s brutality through a chilling investigation into Syria’s infamous political security prison. Thousands of documents detailing the atrocities committed by the regime, including arbitrary arrests and torture, were found in the wreckage of the prison’s basement after a fire set by retreating officers in the final days of the regime’s collapse.
When Sky News visited Syria in December, just days after Damascus fell, the military prisons were being emptied by victorious fighters from Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA). However, it quickly became evident that the regime had attempted to destroy the very documents that served as evidence of its brutal rule. In Homs, the political security prison—one of the most feared places in Syria—had been set ablaze, yet a significant number of files survived, revealing the horrific practices that have plagued the country for decades.
Upon returning to the prison with permission from the local authorities, Sky News reporters sifted through charred remains of documents scattered across offices, archive rooms, and cells. Despite the destructive fire, the sheer volume of paperwork—packed into metal filing cabinets—ensured that some documents endured. These files contain irrefutable evidence of the regime’s cruel tactics, documenting not only the crimes of the detained individuals but also the regime’s systemic repression of its citizens.
Among the documents were personal files, orders, and registration logs that listed the names of thousands of prisoners, their alleged offenses, and the torturous conditions they faced. Disturbingly, even minor acts of dissent, such as sending a message critical of President Bashar al-Assad, were enough to result in arrest, torture, and even death. Mahmoud Moussa, a Syrian producer for Sky News, shared the painful story of his missing cousins, one of whom was detained for a text deemed insulting to the Assad regime.
These documents also shed light on the regime’s deeply entrenched conspiracy to safeguard the Assad family’s rule, which spanned over 50 years. With corruption and torture as tools of power, the regime maintained control through institutionalised violence and fear. The documents expose a chilling pattern of fabricated confessions, fabricated causes of death, and surveillance of the entire population.
The documents, detailing crimes such as torture, murder, and the suppression of protests, serve as a powerful record of the regime’s brutal tactics. The investigation also uncovered the mass surveillance of Syrians, including those who were believed to be loyal to the regime. The files, which contain meticulously recorded details of the movements of foreign nationals, journalists, and even UN staff, reveal the extent to which the regime controlled and monitored all aspects of daily life.
The evidence gathered in Homs highlights the scale of the crimes committed, as well as the significant loss suffered by Syrians who were directly impacted by the regime’s actions. Taha Tadmori, whose brother Firaz was arrested in 2013 and disappeared in the prison, was able to find his brother’s name in one of the registration books, a glimmer of hope for a family desperate for answers. Despite the regime’s best efforts to erase the evidence, the documents continue to tell the truth.
The scale of the brutal repression orchestrated by Bashar al-Assad and his lieutenants is staggering, as evidenced by the vast number of prisoners documented across the years. What was once thought to be a highly secretive and controlled system of repression is now slowly being uncovered, providing valuable insight into the horrors that many Syrians faced under the Assad regime.
The survival of these records is a crucial step in the pursuit of justice for the countless victims of this regime. As the world learns more about the extent of these crimes, there is hope that those responsible will eventually be held accountable.
