Grisly discovery in Syria: Rebels reveal Damascus torture chamber
The rebels claim they found 40 bodies in the mortuary of a hospital in Damascus, each showing signs of torture. The corpses were reportedly stuffed into plastic bags and marked with numbers. Only some of the bodies had names marked on cards.
The dictatorship of Bashar al-Assad has claimed hundreds of thousands of victims over 24 years. After the regime's overthrow, the rebels are highlighting the effects of horrifying torture and reporting discoveries in Syrian prisons.
An example of the al-Assad regime's brutal actions is seen in the dramatic images from the hospital morgue in Damascus. Rebels discovered the bodies of 40 victims there, showing numerous signs of torture.
I opened the door of the morgue with my own hands, it was a horrific sight: about 40 bodies were piled up showing signs of gruesome torture, said in an interview with AFP, Mohammed al-Hajj, a fighter from rebel factions in the south of the country.
Tragic scenes in the hospital morgue: Syria holds the Assad regime accountable
In the photos received by AFP reporters, bodies can be seen with gouged-out eyes and teeth, dried blood, and numerous bruises. Pieces of bone protrude from one of the corpses, and ribs and signs of decomposition are visible through the skin.
The bodies were not buried. They were placed in plastic bags with traces of blood. The bags were sealed with tape and numbered. Some of the deceased were marked with names. Some victims appeared as if they had recently lost their lives.
The rebels claim the corpses come from the prison in Saydnaya, known as the "human slaughterhouse," where brutal torture and murders occurred. The Bashar al-Assad regime carried out purges of political opposition there.
There were, for example, hydraulic and industrial presses where people were placed. Scenes were extremely brutal. It is worth noting that the authorities did not speak about these prisons. This information reached us in recent days. Why? Because no one left the human slaughterhouse, said Dr. Łukasz Fyderek, director of the Institute of Middle and Far East at Jagiellonian University.
