Syria | Action Group In first-of-its-kind
testimonies, a Palestinian-Syrian survivor, Mohammed M. from Yarmouk Camp, revealed horrific details of what happened to the detainees of “Ali al-Wahsh Street” and others inside the former Syrian regime’s “Maysaloun” Military Intelligence School. The witness confirms that about 900 detainees, victims of the “Ali al-Wahsh” incident, including children, died inside this secret prison as a result of systematic killing, brutal torture, and deliberate medical neglect.
Maysaloun: A Secret Prison Behind Fortified Walls
The Military Intelligence School, “Maysaloun Branch,” is located near the Damascus-Beirut road in the Maysaloun area, about five kilometers southwest of the Lebanese village of Deir al-Ashaer. This secret military zone, surrounded by a concrete wall, barbed wire, and fortified watchtowers, has been transformed into a human slaughterhouse far from the eyes of the world.
Mohammed M.’s journey to hell and Mohammed’s shocking testimony.
M., who was arrested in 2013 and tortured in several security branches, was transferred to Maysaloun in mid-2014 along with nearly 300 other detainees. In his testimony to the Action Group, Mohammed M. recounted the first moments of their arrival: “When we got off the buses in the schoolyard, school personnel started hitting us on the head with iron rods. I saw a number of detainees breathe their last breaths without a sound… Then they made us sign papers that they told us were our ”˜death certificates.’”He describes the place as “a newly built warehouse with a concrete roof and unpainted walls,”divided into four warehouses, three of which were designated for the “Ali al-Wahsh”detainees.
Systematic killing and “forced labor of the dead”
The witness reveals that the “murder series” began two days after their arrival. The jailer would request five bodies a day, and the sergeant (a detainee appointed by the jailers) would carry out the order by selecting the sick, the elderly, or those whose appearance he disliked, to be killed by beating or strangulation inside the dormitory.
Mohammed M. describes the “forced killing of the dead,” which involved forcing detainees to transport the bodies of their comrades from the dormitories to closed vans. These were then transported to the Military Security branch in Mezzeh, where they were then collected and transported in large refrigerated meat trucks to an “unknown location.”
According to Mohammed M.’s testimony, the killing of detainees took place every few days, with approximately 35 bodies being taken out at a time, including children and youths as young as 16. The bodies were often in their underwear. He also confirmed that the killing was not limited to the sergeant, but included victims who died from diseases such as scabies, gangrene, and medical neglect, as well as others who died under torture in rooms equipped with iron chains and hooks. Some lost their minds and were killed if they did not die of their own accord.
Stealing corpses and extorting money:
In shocking details, Muhammad M. recounts an incident in which a gold piece fell from a detainee’s clothing during the “dead-killing” process. This prompted the jailers, “like rabid dogs,” to search the victims and steal the gold and money from their bodies. This practice led to an increase in their appetite for killing and a rise in the number of victims.
The witness also spoke of financial extortion attempts by some jailers, who would contact the detainees’ families to release them in exchange for large sums of money. However, the tragic thing is that the majority of families who paid the money, such as a family that paid one and a half million Syrian pounds, were surprised to find their detainee killed after receiving the money.
The witness confirms that very few detainees escaped “Maysalun” after paying large sums of money or through private mediation.
“Maysaloun” is uglier than “Saydnaya”
Mohammed M. estimates the number of “Ali al-Wahsh” detainees who entered “Maysaloun” at about 900 detainees, stressing that most of them did not survive. He concludes his testimony with a shocking assertion: “The Maysaloun branch – the Military Intelligence School – is more difficult and criminal against detainees than Sednaya Military Prison and what happens there.” This testimony calls for a comprehensive international investigation into what happened and is happening inside these prisons.
To follow the full report, follow the link here:Â https://actionpal.org.uk/ar/reports/special/death_road.pdf