Ruth Sherlock

And one of the men, when we got to his house, his family had laid out this huge platter of sticky Syrian sweets to celebrate his return, but he couldn't touch them because he told us, you know, his stomach, it can't cope with anything that rich after years of what was basically starvation.

And one of the men, when we got to his house, his family had laid out this huge platter of sticky Syrian sweets to celebrate his return, but he couldn't touch them because he told us, you know, his stomach, it can't cope with anything that rich after years of what was basically starvation.

And one of the men, when we got to his house, his family had laid out this huge platter of sticky Syrian sweets to celebrate his return, but he couldn't touch them because he told us, you know, his stomach, it can't cope with anything that rich after years of what was basically starvation.

We interviewed the former prisoners all separately, and all three of the men's testimony of what went on in Sednaya was remarkably similar. One of those men who wanted to be known only by his first name, Adham, he actually decided to do this really difficult thing. He decided to go back to the prison he'd just come out of because he believed in showing it to us.

We interviewed the former prisoners all separately, and all three of the men's testimony of what went on in Sednaya was remarkably similar. One of those men who wanted to be known only by his first name, Adham, he actually decided to do this really difficult thing. He decided to go back to the prison he'd just come out of because he believed in showing it to us.

We interviewed the former prisoners all separately, and all three of the men's testimony of what went on in Sednaya was remarkably similar. One of those men who wanted to be known only by his first name, Adham, he actually decided to do this really difficult thing. He decided to go back to the prison he'd just come out of because he believed in showing it to us.

And so he took us through this labyrinth of concrete corridors, he said, Naya, to his cell where he lived constantly. in this crowded place with 17 others for nearly six years. We saw the tiny plastic cup that guards used to measure a meal size for a prisoner. And Aisha, it was like less than you'd feed a baby. And then something happened that just stopped me in my tracks.

And so he took us through this labyrinth of concrete corridors, he said, Naya, to his cell where he lived constantly. in this crowded place with 17 others for nearly six years. We saw the tiny plastic cup that guards used to measure a meal size for a prisoner. And Aisha, it was like less than you'd feed a baby. And then something happened that just stopped me in my tracks.

And so he took us through this labyrinth of concrete corridors, he said, Naya, to his cell where he lived constantly. in this crowded place with 17 others for nearly six years. We saw the tiny plastic cup that guards used to measure a meal size for a prisoner. And Aisha, it was like less than you'd feed a baby. And then something happened that just stopped me in my tracks.

I asked him about the nickname Sednaya had. It's often referred to as the slaughterhouse. But then he corrected me. This wasn't just a nickname. He said, it's an actual place, and it's upstairs. Here's that moment. NPR's Jawad Rizalla is with me, and he interprets.

I asked him about the nickname Sednaya had. It's often referred to as the slaughterhouse. But then he corrected me. This wasn't just a nickname. He said, it's an actual place, and it's upstairs. Here's that moment. NPR's Jawad Rizalla is with me, and he interprets.

I asked him about the nickname Sednaya had. It's often referred to as the slaughterhouse. But then he corrected me. This wasn't just a nickname. He said, it's an actual place, and it's upstairs. Here's that moment. NPR's Jawad Rizalla is with me, and he interprets.

What does he mean?

What does he mean?

What does he mean?

He takes us up to a huge empty room. Metal cages line the walls. He says this is where people were executed, hanged in large numbers. What we learned next from his testimony and the other prisoners is how that slaughterhouse operated. And here's part of that report.

He takes us up to a huge empty room. Metal cages line the walls. He says this is where people were executed, hanged in large numbers. What we learned next from his testimony and the other prisoners is how that slaughterhouse operated. And here's part of that report.

He takes us up to a huge empty room. Metal cages line the walls. He says this is where people were executed, hanged in large numbers. What we learned next from his testimony and the other prisoners is how that slaughterhouse operated. And here's part of that report.

32-year-old Talaat Hussein Tala says he never thought people could be so violent and evil. He says the killings followed a regular schedule.

32-year-old Talaat Hussein Tala says he never thought people could be so violent and evil. He says the killings followed a regular schedule.