Unveiling the Horrors of Al-Khatib Prison: Abdullah Al Nofal’s Story of Survival

The fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria has brought forth harrowing tales of survival from the country’s darkest era. Among them is Abdullah Al Nofal, a 36-year-old Syrian man who endured unimaginable torment in the infamous Al-Khatib prison in Damascus. Abdullah, now living in London, recently broke his silence, revealing the brutal reality of his detention to his wife, Douna Haj Ahmed.

Abdullah’s story began in 2013, during the height of the Syrian civil war. A storekeeper for the International Committee of the Red Cross, he had once participated in peaceful protests against Assad’s rule. Though he distanced himself from activism as violence escalated, his earlier involvement caught up with him. On a fateful day in July 2013, Abdullah was detained at a checkpoint near Damascus, blindfolded, handcuffed, and taken to a military facility.

The conditions were horrific. Abdullah spent three days in solitary confinement, enduring absolute darkness and isolation. He was later transferred to Al-Khatib prison, notorious for its inhumane treatment of detainees. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates that nearly 60,000 people were tortured or killed in such detention centers.

Inside Al-Khatib, prisoners were subjected to relentless suffering. Abdullah described the sight of nearly naked detainees, the rampant spread of disease, and the constant fear of torture. Every day brought new horrors as prisoners returned from interrogation covered in blood and scars. "If you are not tortured yourself, every minute they will take someone to investigation," he recalled.

Abdullah himself faced extreme torture, forced to confess to false charges of transporting weapons. He described the ordeal as dying a thousand deaths, saying, "Every minute it's like you're dying." Only by fabricating a story did he escape further torment, managing to secure his release after 12 days.

The scars of Al-Khatib stayed with him. For years, Abdullah kept his trauma hidden, unwilling to share the full extent of his suffering. It wasn’t until he saw news of prisoners fleeing Syria that he finally opened up to his wife. Douna, who had lost brothers to the regime, found his revelations both painful and eye-opening.

Today, Abdullah and Douna live in London, free from the regime’s grasp. Reflecting on their journey, Abdullah expressed gratitude for his survival and the opportunity to share his story. “We finally finished with the regime. We are free now,” he said. His account sheds light on the resilience of those who endured Assad’s brutal regime and underscores the need for justice for the victims of Syria’s oppressive past.

Refrence From: www.ndtv.com