Syria marks a year since Assad fled, but struggles to heal

"Arrested in 2018 for fleeing compulsory military service, the father of three had cycled through four other lockups before landing in Saydnaya, a sprawling complex just north of Damascus that became synonymous with some of the worst atrocities committed under the rule of now-ousted President Bashar Assad. He recalled guards waiting to welcome new prisoners with a gauntlet of beatings and electric shocks. "They said, 'You have no rights here, and we're not calling an ambulance unless we have a dead body,'" Marwan said."

"But in the year since then, he has struggled to overcome the physical and psychological effects of his six-year imprisonment. He suffered from chest pain and difficulty breathing that turned out to be the result of tuberculosis. He was beset by crippling anxiety and difficulty sleeping. He's now undergoing treatment for tuberculosis and attending therapy sessions at a center in Homs focused on rehabilitating former prisoners, and Marwan said his physical and mental situations have gradually improved."

Mohammad Marwan was released from Saydnaya prison after six years when rebels opened the facility. He was arrested in 2018 for fleeing compulsory military service and was held in multiple lockups before Saydnaya, where prisoners endured beatings and electric shocks. His return home on Dec. 8, 2024 was joyful, but he developed tuberculosis, chest pain, anxiety, and insomnia. He is receiving tuberculosis treatment and attending therapy at a Homs rehabilitation center for former prisoners, with gradual physical and mental improvement. Thousands marked the anniversary of Assad's fall as the country struggles after 14 years of war, heavy casualties, displacement, and division.

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