Syrian jail rescue mission comes up empty

Turkish rescue workers have ended their search for survivors in Syria’s notorious Saydnaya prison, after finding no detainees languishing in any hidden cells.

The empty cells at Saydnaya jail, outside Damascus. Picture: AFP

Turkish rescue workers have ended their search for survivors in Syria’s notorious Saydnaya prison, their leader said after finding no detainees languishing in any hidden cells.

The prison, just outside Damascus, became a symbol of rights abuses under president Bashar al-Assad, who was ousted by Islamist-led rebels on December 8.

The search by a 120-member team was conducted at the request of Syria’s new leaders. The prison was also thoroughly searched by Syria’s White Helmets emergency workers but they wrapped up their operations on Tuesday, saying they were unable to find any more prisoners.

“The entire building was searched and analysed with a scanner, and no living person was found,” said Okay Memis, director of Turkey’s disaster relief agency.

Prisoners held inside the complex, which was the site of extrajudicial executions, torture and forced disappearances, were freed early last week by the Islamist-led rebels.

The complex is thought to descend several levels underground, fuelling suspicions that more prisoners could be held in undiscovered hidden cells.

The Association of Detainees and Missing Persons of Saydnaya Prison, however, believes the rumours about hidden cells are unfounded.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 100,000 people have died in Syria’s jails and detention centres since 2011, when Syria’s civil war erupted.

AFP