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‘There Are No Words’: Syrian Families Hope for Clues About Loved Ones’ Whereabouts at Notorious Prison
Families continued to arrive at Syria’s notorious Sednaya prison near Damascus on December 9, in hopes of finding loved ones or clues to their whereabouts as the Syrian Civil Defense was carrying out searches there.However, the group, also known as the White Helmets, posted on X early on December 10 that it had concluded search operations at the prison, saying they “did not uncover any unopened or hidden areas within the facility.”“We share the profound disappointment of the families of the thousands who remain missing and whose fates remain unknown,” they said.Footage published by Milad Fadel shows crowds of people at the prison. He said thousands arrived to search for information about their detained loved ones.A man interviewed by Fadel in the footage says: “In every moment, the sadness of Syrians increases, after entering the cells of this slaughterhouse. Families, fathers, mothers, are trying to look for the names of their loved ones on the walls of these dark cells.”The man begins to cry as he continues: “There are no words that can explain the state of the families, the state of the fathers, the state of the mothers, hearts are a volcano and will erupt.” Credit: Milad Fadel via Storyful