Up First from NPR Reckoning with the Assad Regime's 'Machinery of Death'
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Jan 26, 2025 Ruth Sherlock, an NPR correspondent who has reported extensively on Syria, shares her insights into the aftermath of the Assad regime's fall. She uncovers chilling details from notorious Sednaya prison, where dissenters faced brutal punishment. Sherlock visits mass gravesites and hears heart-wrenching stories from former prisoners, revealing the psychological terror inflicted by the regime. The podcast also explores the ongoing search for the disappeared and the challenges of seeking justice in a country still grappling with the scars of war.
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Entering Damascus
- Ruth Sherlock describes crossing the border into Syria after the regime's fall as surreal.
- She encountered burnt-out tanks, discarded uniforms, and toxic air from fires and airstrikes in Damascus.
Sednaya Prison Visit
- Ruth Sherlock visited Sednaya prison after the regime's fall, where people searched for missing loved ones.
- She witnessed chaotic scenes of people desperately searching cells and hacking at floors, clinging to hope.
Consistent Testimonies
- Ruth Sherlock and Jawad Rizallah interviewed former Sednaya prisoners.
- These interviews revealed consistent accounts of the prison's horrors, providing a clearer picture of the systematic killings.