Damascus Files Reveal Systematic Abuse Under Syrian Regime

Recently uncovered documents, known as the Damascus Files, provide extensive evidence of systematic abuse, torture, and deaths within the Syrian prison system during the rule of Bashar al-Assad. The files contain photographs of over 10,000 deceased detainees, including men, women, and at least one child, believed to have been held in various intelligence agency detention centers. Most of the images were taken between mid-2015 and October 2024, with a few dating back to 2012 and 2013.

These photographs show clear signs of severe violence and malnutrition among the victims, often depicting emaciated bodies in poor condition. Each corpse was carefully documented from multiple angles, labeled with a prisoner number, the code of the security agency responsible for the detention, and a forensic file number. However, in most cases, the names of the deceased were omitted, reducing individuals to anonymous numbers.

The Damascus Files comprise approximately 134,000 documents, including confidential records from various security agencies. These files shed light on internal operations, command structures, and business involvements linked to the Assad family. The names of more than 1,500 individuals, many of whom are still missing, are also recorded. According to estimates by the Syrian Network for Human Rights, over 160,000 people have disappeared in Syria since the onset of unrest in 2011. Families were rarely informed about the fate or whereabouts of their relatives due to systematic information suppression by the authorities.

The victims were detained in several intelligence branches, such as the Military Police, Air Force Intelligence, General Military Intelligence, Political Security Division, and the so-called Palestine Branch. Many of the photographs were taken at the Harasta Military Hospital, located northeast of Damascus, which served as a central facility for processing the deceased from intelligence prisons. Medical staff occasionally issued misleading death certificates before the bodies were transferred to mass graves, likely to cover up the scale of the killings.

The transmission of these materials was facilitated by a former colonel in the Syrian Military Police, who headed the unit tasked with photographing the deceased from 2020 to 2024. After the regime's collapse, he secured the evidence and arranged its transfer to reporters, aiming to document the crimes committed during Assad's rule.

This is not the first time such evidence has surfaced. In 2014, another dataset--later known as the "Caesar Photos"--documented more than 6,000 deaths in detention, captured by a military photographer who later revealed his identity as Farid al-Madhan. The new Damascus Files demonstrate that the documented patterns of abuse persisted up to the end of Assad's regime.

German federal prosecutors have used previous photo evidence in trials against former Syrian officials accused of crimes against humanity. The new photographs are also being examined by criminal investigators and forensic experts in Germany to determine their evidentiary value. Prosecutors note that such visual documentation complements witness testimonies and provides objective insight into the experiences of victims.

Due to the lack of identification on most of the photographs, only two victims have been positively identified so far. One was a 34-year-old military deserter who had been deported back to Syria from Turkey and detained in the notorious Saidnaya prison. Another was a well-known human rights activist who had previously fled Syria, testified against the regime in Europe, but returned in 2020 and was later found dead in custody.

The Damascus Files offer a comprehensive look into the scale and systematic nature of abuse under the former Syrian government. The evidence is now part of ongoing legal and investigative efforts in Europe, aiming to ensure accountability for the crimes documented in these records.