Families Identify Bodies of Detainees Killed Under Assad Regime in Damascus Morgue
Damascus: Mohammad Chaeeb softly spoke to a relative on the phone from the morgue in Damascus, his voice laden with grief as he identified his brother’s body, found in a chilling state. “He doesn’t look normal. He doesn’t even have eyes,” Chaeeb said, describing the gruesome sight of his sibling, Sami, whose body showed signs of torture. Sami had disappeared into Syria’s brutal prison system five months ago, only to be found after the fall of President Bashar al-Assad’s government last weekend.
The body was one of many found in the aftermath of the regime’s collapse, where detainees like Sami were imprisoned under harsh conditions, many dying due to beatings, torture, and starvation. Mohammad Chaeeb, whose brother had been imprisoned under unknown charges, rushed to the morgue after receiving a photo sent by another brother living in Turkey. He identified Sami by a mole on his ear and a finger injury sustained years ago. Chaeeb’s heartbreak mirrored that of many others who gathered at the morgue, scouring a haunting display of the dead in search of loved ones.
Among the bodies, forensic workers identified signs of bullet wounds and evidence of torture, with many of the bodies coming from the notorious Saydnaya Prison. The morgue has seen a surge of families as they try to identify the dead, with some bodies wrapped in bloodstained sheets and bearing marks of extreme violence.
Syrian authorities have imprisoned an estimated 150,000 people since the uprising began in 2011, with many detainees dying in brutal conditions. As families search for closure, the tragic discovery of these bodies serves as a painful reminder of the regime's violent crackdown on dissent.
