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Syrian Activist Mazen al-Hamada Found Dead in Sednaya Prison After Trusting Regime's General Amnesty

Dec 9, 2024, 08:40 PM

Syrian activist Mazen al-Hamada, known for his outspoken criticism of the Assad regime, has been found dead in Sednaya Prison, Damascus. Hamada, originally from Deir ez-Zor, became a symbol of resistance during the Syrian uprising and was a prominent witness to the regime's human rights violations. He had been arrested multiple times, enduring severe torture, including electric shocks and sexual violence. After fleeing to the Netherlands, he continued to speak out against the regime. In 2020, he was coerced by the Syrian regime’s embassy in Berlin to return to Syria under false assurances of safety. Upon his return, he was re-arrested and disappeared. His frozen body was recently discovered among others in the notorious Sednaya Prison, where he is believed to have been executed in the final days of the Assad regime. He had returned to Syria after trusting a general amnesty declared by the regime.