UN special envoy urges justice after witnessing Sednaya prison's "indescribable horror"

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen has visited Sednaya prison, one of the worst torture centres of the ousted Ba’ath regime near Damascus, Syria's capital.

“We are all shattered. We can't find words to describe what was happening here,” Pederson told reporters after visiting the torture centre, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Pedersen said he had met some former detainees from Sednaya prison and described the horror they had experienced as “indescribable.” The UN Special Envoy expressed his respect for all victims of torture by the Syrian regime and their families.

He drew attention to the fact that there are many families in Syria who have experienced “this indescribable horror.”

Pedersen emphasized that they must now be given all possible support. This must not happen again in Syria or anywhere else in the world, the UN special envoy said.

He also noted the importance of preserving documentation on Sednaya prison. This is crucial to ensuring justice, he added.

Notably, Sednaya Prison, located near Damascus, Syria, has long been notorious for severe human rights abuses, including torture, mass executions, and inhumane living conditions. Recent developments have brought renewed attention to this facility.

In early December 2024, the Assad regime collapsed, leading to the liberation of Sednaya Prison by rebel forces. Upon entering the facility, they discovered harrowing evidence of torture and executions. Videos and images shared on social media depicted mass graves, torture devices, and traumatized prisoners emerging from deplorable conditions. Many detainees had been held for years without trial, subjected to systematic abuse.

Among the disturbing findings was a hydraulic press, allegedly used for torture and executions. This device, capable of inflicting extreme pain and death, underscores the brutal methods employed within the prison.

Following the regime's fall, families have been searching for missing relatives believed to have been detained in Sednaya. The prison's liberation has provided hope for reunions, but also revealed the extensive scale of disappearances and deaths that occurred within its walls.

The international community has expressed outrage over the revelations from Sednaya Prison. Human rights organizations are calling for thorough investigations into the abuses and for those responsible to be held accountable. The prison's notoriety as a "human slaughterhouse" has been further cemented by these recent discoveries. 

By Khagan Isayev