Relatives of missing Syrians 'suspended between hope and despair'

A woman whose grandfather, father and brothers were detained by the military tells the BBC it is "devastating" that they are still missing.

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 SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersRelatives of missing Syrians 'suspended between hope and despair'Getty ImagesThousands of people are believed to have been detained and tortured at Syria's notorious Saydnaya Prison under the Assad regimeA Syrian woman whose grandfather, father and two brothers were detained by the military nearly 12 years ago has told the BBC it is "devastating" that her loved ones remain missing, despite the country's most notorious prison being emptied.

"Now, miles away from that most brutal prison, we are huddling around screens, our hearts suspended between hope and despair," Hiba Abdulhakim Qasawaad, a 24-year-old from the city of Homs, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We are scanning every face in the footage, searching for traces of our loved ones. This is the only thing that we can do."

On Sunday, when rebel forces swept into the country's capital and declared an end to Bashar al-Assad's rule, families rushed to Saydnaya Prison outside Damascus, where political opponents were reportedly held, tortured and executed.

But with rescue workers now ending their search for possible detainees in the prison, some families face renewed anguish.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c93gkq6vp5zo

---