Dia Hadid

And she says 20 days after she arrived, prison guards banged on their cell doors and told the women, get your children ready. It was chaos.

And even now, years later, Shbawi cries as she remembers this. One woman who'd been detained for a while told them, say goodbye to your children now because they're going to take them away. Don't make a fuss or they'll put you in solitary.

And even now, years later, Shbawi cries as she remembers this. One woman who'd been detained for a while told them, say goodbye to your children now because they're going to take them away. Don't make a fuss or they'll put you in solitary.

And even now, years later, Shbawi cries as she remembers this. One woman who'd been detained for a while told them, say goodbye to your children now because they're going to take them away. Don't make a fuss or they'll put you in solitary.

but some women wouldn't let go, so the guards came in and took their children by force. Shabawi drew Heba into her lap. She put her arms around her and hugged her. She said, You're going to a better place, and when this ends, you'll be with me and I'll hug you. Shabawi hoped that was true. She prayed. Oh God, protect her with your watchful eye that never sleeps.

but some women wouldn't let go, so the guards came in and took their children by force. Shabawi drew Heba into her lap. She put her arms around her and hugged her. She said, You're going to a better place, and when this ends, you'll be with me and I'll hug you. Shabawi hoped that was true. She prayed. Oh God, protect her with your watchful eye that never sleeps.

but some women wouldn't let go, so the guards came in and took their children by force. Shabawi drew Heba into her lap. She put her arms around her and hugged her. She said, You're going to a better place, and when this ends, you'll be with me and I'll hug you. Shabawi hoped that was true. She prayed. Oh God, protect her with your watchful eye that never sleeps.

As the months went on, Shabawi watched more mothers come into the cell and she watched them have their children snatched away, including newborn babies. She says pregnant women detained alongside her were taken to hospital when they went into labour. After birth, the women were returned to their lock-up with their babies.

As the months went on, Shabawi watched more mothers come into the cell and she watched them have their children snatched away, including newborn babies. She says pregnant women detained alongside her were taken to hospital when they went into labour. After birth, the women were returned to their lock-up with their babies.

As the months went on, Shabawi watched more mothers come into the cell and she watched them have their children snatched away, including newborn babies. She says pregnant women detained alongside her were taken to hospital when they went into labour. After birth, the women were returned to their lock-up with their babies.

They were allowed to nurse them for a few weeks and then the guards took the babies away. It was a fate spare we feared as well because when she was arrested with Heber, her two-year-old, she was also a few weeks pregnant. But after almost eight months of detainment and weeks before she was due to give birth, she was finally sentenced and she was shifted to a notorious prison called Adra.

They were allowed to nurse them for a few weeks and then the guards took the babies away. It was a fate spare we feared as well because when she was arrested with Heber, her two-year-old, she was also a few weeks pregnant. But after almost eight months of detainment and weeks before she was due to give birth, she was finally sentenced and she was shifted to a notorious prison called Adra.

They were allowed to nurse them for a few weeks and then the guards took the babies away. It was a fate spare we feared as well because when she was arrested with Heber, her two-year-old, she was also a few weeks pregnant. But after almost eight months of detainment and weeks before she was due to give birth, she was finally sentenced and she was shifted to a notorious prison called Adra.

She still doesn't know what her crime was, but in prison she was told she'd be released soon and she was given one phone call. So she called her sister and asked if somebody could pick her up and she told her sister, Heva isn't with me. I don't know where she is.

She still doesn't know what her crime was, but in prison she was told she'd be released soon and she was given one phone call. So she called her sister and asked if somebody could pick her up and she told her sister, Heva isn't with me. I don't know where she is.

She still doesn't know what her crime was, but in prison she was told she'd be released soon and she was given one phone call. So she called her sister and asked if somebody could pick her up and she told her sister, Heva isn't with me. I don't know where she is.

Shbawi returned to her village heavily pregnant. Her husband by that point had abandoned her and married another woman. This happened a lot to women who'd been detained. When they were freed, they weren't greeted as heroes. They often faced immense stigma over the possibility that they'd been sexually assaulted while confined.

Shbawi returned to her village heavily pregnant. Her husband by that point had abandoned her and married another woman. This happened a lot to women who'd been detained. When they were freed, they weren't greeted as heroes. They often faced immense stigma over the possibility that they'd been sexually assaulted while confined.

Shbawi returned to her village heavily pregnant. Her husband by that point had abandoned her and married another woman. This happened a lot to women who'd been detained. When they were freed, they weren't greeted as heroes. They often faced immense stigma over the possibility that they'd been sexually assaulted while confined.

Shbawi jokes that it would have been better if her husband had died in a Syrian prison so she could tell their kids that he was a martyr. It was Shbawi's brother who began the search for Heba. He heard that she might be in an orphanage, and so he went banging on their doors across Damascus.