Syria: Inside Sednaya prison

The report captures a pivotal moment in Syria's history, as control shifts from the Assad regime to revolutionary forces. The story begins near the Syrian border, where symbols of Assad's regime, such as billboards, are being dismantled by rebel fighters.

It reflects on the Assad family's half-century-long rule, characterized by violence, war, and mass displacement, and how Syrians are now imagining a world without him for the first time.

The narrative focuses on the infamous Sednaya Prison near Damascus, a site of atrocities, as it is opened by the new forces. Families gather in anguish, searching for loved ones among records and prisoners in a location symbolic of the regime's brutality.

Despite the liberation, the account highlights the uncertainty surrounding Syria's future under Islamist forces like Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which faces international scrutiny for its extremist history and mixed record on human rights.

Amid the chaos, there is both hope and fear for Syria's future, as citizens grapple with questions of safety, freedom, and rebuilding their lives in a nation long scarred by oppression and war.