Many would consider the term ‘death factory’ to be associated with another era, one that is long in the past.

But reports have emerged from inside Sednaya prison, bringing to light the horrific death camp and torture complex that was operated by the Assad regime until the regime’s collapse, just one week ago. It has been reported that 96,000 people have disappeared into Syria’s vast network of secret prisons, including thousands of women and children. The overwhelming majority were tortured to death. 

The Center for Peace Communications (CPC), an NGO that works through media, schools and spiritual centers to resolve identity-based conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, gained unprecedented access to Sednaya. They have captured exclusive footage from inside its underground dungeons, and recorded testimonies of those lucky enough to survive what many have called a human slaughterhouse. This footage was released by and in partnership with The Free Press. 

To discuss what we know about Sednaya prison and Syria’s path moving forward, our guests are Joseph Braude and Ahed Al Hendi. 

Joseph Braude is the founder and president of the Center for Peace Communications. He is the author of four books on North Africa and the Middle East, and is a frequent contributor to English and Arabic newspapers and magazines. He has served as a consulting advisor to non-profit organizations, the U.S. government, and the private sector in the realms of Arab civil society engagement, strategic communications, and counterterrorism.

Ahed Al Hendi is a Syrian affairs analyst. He is a former political prisoner in Syria, and was arrested for establishing a secular anti-regime student organization. 

Exclusive footage and survivor testimony from inside the Sednaya prison, courtesy of the CPC and The Free Press: 

https://www.thefp.com/p/watch-assads-human-slaughterhouse-sednaya-prison