Relatives of missing Syrians ‘suspended between hope and despair’

A Syrian woman whose grandfather, father and two brothers were detained by the army almost 12 years ago has told the BBC it is “devastating” that her loved ones are still missing, despite the country’s most famous prison being emptied.

“Now, miles away from the most brutal prison, we are huddled around screens, our hearts suspended between hope and despair,” Hiba Abdulhakim Qasawaad, a 24-year-old from the city of Homs, told the program. Today from BBC Radio 4.

“We are scanning every face in the images, looking for traces of our loved ones. This is the only thing we can do.”

On Sunday, as rebel forces stormed the country’s capital and declared the end of Bashar al-Assad’s rule, families rushed to Saydnaya prison on the outskirts of Damascus, where political opponents reportedly They were held, tortured and executed.

But now that rescuers are ending their search for possible detainees at the prison, some families are facing renewed anguish.

“Now freedom rings like a bell too loud for ears accustomed to silence,” said Ms. Qasawaad.

“Now, with our hearts racing, we have this anticipation, joy and pain as we wait for the moment when we can finally hold them, free at last, but I don’t know if we will be able to see them again, because now we are torn between finding answers and never knowing anything. “