This Syrian Activist Who Was Tortured For Years Has Been Found Killed In Sednaya Prison
Hamada was first arrested in 2011 for joining and filming the anti-government protests, his crime was “protesting” and his weapon was his “camera”.
47-year-old Syrian activist Mazen Hamada who was tortured for years by al-Assad’s regime has been found killed inside Sednaya prison in Damascus.
Hamada was first arrested in 2011 for joining and filming the anti-government protests, his crime was “protesting” and his weapon was his “camera”.
In 2012, the Syrian government security forces arrested Hamada for trying to smuggle 55 packages of baby formula into a besieged suburb of Damascus.
He was arrested with his two nephews, who were killed in detention.
During his time in detention, Hamada endured extreme torture, including beatings, being suspended by his wrists, starvation and rape, while also witnessing countless deaths.
He was held in overcrowded conditions and forced to confess to crimes he did not commit under duress.
After his release, fearing further persecution, Hamada fled Syria and sought asylum in the Netherlands, where he publicly testified about the abuse he suffered and became a vocal advocate for victims of the Syrian prison system, organizing demonstrations to raise awareness about the atrocities committed by the al-Assad regime.
Hamada decided to return to Syria in 2020 hoping to help other detainees held unjustly by the al-Assad regime after his testimonies were not enough for the world to stop al-Assad’s brutality.
Upon his arrival at Damascus International Airport, he was arrested by Syrian intelligence services and he was missing since.
Hamada said that he believed that justice could be served and that he would see the people who did that to him held accountable.
“I will not rest until I take them to court, and get justice through the law. Even if it costs me my life, I will pursue them,” Hamada said while crying in an interview where he shared details about his torture.
Mazen’s tortured body was found inside Saydnya prison on Tuesday, Dec. 9 after rebels freed the country from President Bashar Al-Assad’s regime.
Many say Hamada’s death is a tragic reminder of the horrors Syrians endured under al-Assad’s 24-year rule.
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