President of IRF Secretariat Nadine Maenza visits Sednaya Prison, highlights atrocities and aalls for justice

SEDNAYA, Syria — During her current trip to Daramsuq (Damascus) following the fall of the authoritarian regime of Bashar al-Assad, President of International Religious Freedom Secretariat (IRF), Global Fellow at The Wilson Center, and former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) Nadine Maenza toured the infamous Sednaya Prison.

Maenza was accompanied by an official delegation that included prominent international and local figures, as well as Moutassem Abdel Sater, a representative of the Association of Sednaya Prison Detainees and Missing Persons in Syria.

The visit aimed to shed light on the severe human rights violations suffered by detainees in Sednaya Prison, a facility that has become a symbol of oppression and injustice under the regimes of Hafez and Bashar al-Assad.

Exposing Atrocities and Seeking Justice

During the tour, the delegation was briefed on the horrific abuses endured by detainees. The visit marks a significant step in uncovering the truth and providing support to the victims. It also underscores the need for collective international and local efforts to ensure justice and accountability for crimes against humanity committed in Syria.

Following her tour, Maenza expressed her horror at the conditions inside Sednaya, stating that words cannot adequately describe the scenes of suffering. Official statistics, she noted, confirm that 30,000 prisoners died due to torture, with some estimates suggesting the death toll exceeds 100,000 under the previous Syrian regime.

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Call to Action for Accountability

Maenza urged the international community to take action in uncovering the fate of the missing and assisting victims. She also called for those responsible for the atrocities to be held accountable, emphasizing that justice is essential for Syria’s recovery and reconciliation.

The visit highlights the ongoing struggle for human rights and accountability in a region still grappling with the legacy of decades of repression and violence.

Words fail to express the horror of Saydnaya Prison in Syria where the Assad Regime tortured & brutally killed thousands of political prisoners.

Captain Moutassem Abdel Sater lead our tour and shared his experiences from the first to the last day of his 3 years of unimaginable… pic.twitter.com/UIrzHLG7Tz

— Nadine Maenza (@nadinemaenza) February 17, 2025