The Syrian Civil Defense concludes the search for prisoners in the Saidnaya prison without finding “hidden cells”
The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the white helmets, has ended the search for possible detainees inside the Saidnaya prison, located about 30 kilometers north of Damascus, without finding “evidence of secret cells or hidden basements.”
In a statement, the group indicated that it had carried out an “exhaustive search of all sections, facilities, basements, patios and surrounding areas of the prison” with the help of “people familiar” with the facility, managed by the Military Police. Syria and known for the use of torture against thousands of prisoners.
During the operation, in which five teams of rescuers participated, “all entrances, exits, ventilation ducts, sewage systems, water pipes, electrical wiring and surveillance camera cables” of the prison were inspected, but “no “Evidence of secret cells or undiscovered basements was found.”
“We share the deep disappointment of the families of the thousands who are still missing and whose fate remains unknown,” says the white helmets’ statement, which also calls for supporting “the efforts of Syrian civil society in the search for the missing.”
“The white helmets are committed to dedicating resources to this cause by working to discover mass graves, identify unidentified bodies and return them to their families,” the text notes.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an NGO located in the United Kingdom but which has a wide network of collaborators on the ground, rescue teams found the bodies of 15 civilians murdered under “brutal torture” in this prison, although the statement of the White Helmets does not collect this information. (Efe)
