Omer Koparan
14 January 2025•Update: 14 January 2025
HOMS, Syria
Anadolu has documented the current state of Tadmor (Palmyra) Prison in Homs, once one of the most infamous detention centers under the rule of ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.
As Syria’s 61-year Baath regime collapsed and the civil war began, the agency has continued to document prisons notorious for systematic human rights violations and torture against detainees.
Footage captures the now-ruined Tadmor Prison, which became notorious as the site where units commanded by Bashar al-Assad’s uncle, Rifaat al-Assad, killed 1,000 unarmed individuals in 1980. Most of the victims were members of the Muslim Brotherhood group.
The prison complex bears clear signs of destruction, with many structures reduced to rubble. While some parts remain standing, the interior shows extensive damage.
Documents scattered in the prison offices, once used by Iranian forces, are also visible in the visuals.
In 2015, the terrorist group Daesh/ISIS seized control of Tadmor and destroyed the prison with explosives. The area was also targeted by Israeli airstrikes in attacks on the Tadmor district of Homs.
Bashar Assad, Syria's leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending his family's decades-long rule.
The takeover came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham fighters captured key cities in a lightning offensive that lasted less than two weeks.
A new administration led by Ahmed al-Sharaa has now taken charge.
*Writing by Merve Berker
