Syrian families' 'unbearable' wait to know fate of detainee relatives

Thousands of prisoners under Assad have been released - families are searching for relatives among them.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersSyrian families' 'unbearable' wait to know fate of detained relativesNaila Al-AbassiIntisar, Dima and Najah were arrested and imprisoned with their mother and three other siblingsFamilies of Syrian detainees have been searching for their missing loved ones since thousands of prisoners were released after the fall of the Assad regime on Sunday.

The family of a Syrian dentist who was arrested along with her six children has told the BBC they are still hoping to find them - as is the sister of a single mother who disappeared mysteriously.

Meanwhile, the daughter of a US-based psychotherapist who was snatched in 2017 and is thought to be dead says she has been buoyed by videos of people who were declared dead being found alive.

As rebel forces swept across the country in recent weeks, they freed thousands of political prisoners held in government jails - including the notorious Saydnaya prison near the capital, Damascus.

But with torture and executions commonplace in these places under Bashar al-Assad's government, many are still waiting to see if their relatives are among those freed.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg6ddnv9geo

---