DAMASCUS: The Caesar Files, a trove of thousands of photographs revealing systematic torture in Syrian prisons under Bashar al-Assad’s regime, are under renewed scrutiny following the regime’s collapse. The Baath regime’s downfall, after 61 years in power, has brought a renewed focus on the dire conditions and abuses that led to the deaths of thousands of detainees within its prisons.
According to Anadolu Agency, the photographs, captured by a military photographer known as Caesar during the Syrian civil war, document the deaths of approximately 11,000 victims. These images show the bodies of detainees transferred from prisons to military hospitals, highlighting the abuse inflicted by regime forces. Mouaz Moustafa, executive director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force (SETF), emphasized the organization’s efforts to preserve these photographs and hold perpetrators accountable. The SETF has presented the Caesar Files to various international bodies, leading to the enactment of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protec
tion Act in the US on June 17, 2020. This law imposes sanctions on supporters of the Syrian regime and its allies.
Moustafa also detailed the grim conditions in Sednaya Prison, where detainees endure overcrowding, lack of basic necessities, and brutal torture. The Caesar photographs, first revealed by Anadolu in 2014, sparked global outrage, though Moustafa criticized the international community’s inaction in prosecuting those responsible. He expressed hope for future accountability, potentially in a court in Damascus, to hold war criminals, including Bashar al-Assad, responsible for their actions. Reports from international organizations describe Sednaya as a center of systematic atrocities since the uprising began in March 2011, with detainees facing relentless torture and deprivation. The reopening of the Caesar Files offers a renewed chance for justice for the victims of the Assad regime’s crimes.