A Syrian woman whose grandfather, father and two brothers were detained by the military almost 12 years ago has told the BBC it is “terrifying” that her loved ones remain missing despite the country’s most notorious prison empty.
“Now, miles from this cruelest prison, we are huddled around screens, our hearts suspended between hope and despair,” Hiba Abdulhakim Kasawaad, 24, from the city of Homs, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“We scan every face on the footage, looking for traces of our loved ones. It’s the only thing we can do.”
On Sunday, as rebel forces entered the capital and announced the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule, families rushed to Saidnaya prison outside Damascus, where political opponents are reportedly held, tortured and executed.
But as rescuers complete the search for possible detainees in the prison, some families are facing new suffering.
“Freedom is now ringing like a bell, too loud for ears accustomed to silence,” Ms. Kasavaad said.
“Now, when our hearts are beating, we have this anticipation, joy and pain, as we wait for the moment when we can finally embrace them, finally be free, but I don’t know if we will be able to see them again, because now we are torn between finding answers or not knowing at all.”
