The Afterlives of Assad’s Prisoners

The Afterlives of Assad’s Prisoners

Iyad Akari, 33, broad-shouldered and tattooed from neck to wrist, is wearing a lilac sweater with pastel tones. He’s from Hama, and spent four years in the nightmare of Syria’s prisons, while no word of him reached his family. He had completely disappeared. But on Dec. 8 last year, he returned. He is telling his story for the first time. The normalcy he exudes somewhat contradicts what he’s been through. There is a kindness in his eyes. He smoke…

Syria’s Justice Ministry calls for handover of detainee files from Assad-era prisons - Enab Baladi

The Syrian Ministry of Justice issued a circular on Monday, 15 December, calling on citizens to hand over documents obtained from security branches, state buildings, and public institutions. The ministry urged the public not to publish any document, “to any party and under any pretext,” and warned “anyone who may be tempted to exploit these files to achieve personal goals,” vowing to impose deterrent penalties under the law. It said that, in the…