Ruth Sherlock

That's one of the most feared complexes known for torture, mass executions. And now it's just open. You can walk right in. And the prisoners were released by rebels in the first hours after the regime fell. But so many more are still missing and now the prison is full of relatives.

They're searching for clues about their loved ones that were taken in jail and mainly, you know, maybe trying to find some kind of closure. One elderly man, Ratib Zamalkani, he was walking away from the prisoners we walked up and he had this rope tied like a noose in his hand and he said he believed this was used to hang prisoners. He's saying, why did they have to put my son in cells underground?

They're searching for clues about their loved ones that were taken in jail and mainly, you know, maybe trying to find some kind of closure. One elderly man, Ratib Zamalkani, he was walking away from the prisoners we walked up and he had this rope tied like a noose in his hand and he said he believed this was used to hang prisoners. He's saying, why did they have to put my son in cells underground?

They're searching for clues about their loved ones that were taken in jail and mainly, you know, maybe trying to find some kind of closure. One elderly man, Ratib Zamalkani, he was walking away from the prisoners we walked up and he had this rope tied like a noose in his hand and he said he believed this was used to hang prisoners. He's saying, why did they have to put my son in cells underground?

Where is he? Where is he? He asks. And he tells us he took the noose from the prison to show the world the cruelty of the Assad regime.

Where is he? Where is he? He asks. And he tells us he took the noose from the prison to show the world the cruelty of the Assad regime.

Where is he? Where is he? He asks. And he tells us he took the noose from the prison to show the world the cruelty of the Assad regime.

Well, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Damascus and around to stop what it calls strategic weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The Russians still have their air base here and a naval port in Syria's Tartus. And the Americans are still here with a mission to help Kurdish allies fight the extremist group ISIS that is still operating in the central Syrian desert.

Well, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Damascus and around to stop what it calls strategic weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The Russians still have their air base here and a naval port in Syria's Tartus. And the Americans are still here with a mission to help Kurdish allies fight the extremist group ISIS that is still operating in the central Syrian desert.

Well, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes in Damascus and around to stop what it calls strategic weapons from falling into the wrong hands. The Russians still have their air base here and a naval port in Syria's Tartus. And the Americans are still here with a mission to help Kurdish allies fight the extremist group ISIS that is still operating in the central Syrian desert.

So there are a lot of foreign countries involved here still. That is NPR's Ruth Sherlock and Damascus.

So there are a lot of foreign countries involved here still. That is NPR's Ruth Sherlock and Damascus.

So there are a lot of foreign countries involved here still. That is NPR's Ruth Sherlock and Damascus.

Damascus is calm, but there were these huge plumes of smoke rising from buildings that were hit by heavy bombardments by Israel, who's been targeting military positions of the former regime. So the air was thick with this kind of acrid dust and it catches in your throat. We saw people wandering around into security bases and palaces. And these are places they couldn't have stepped inside before.

Damascus is calm, but there were these huge plumes of smoke rising from buildings that were hit by heavy bombardments by Israel, who's been targeting military positions of the former regime. So the air was thick with this kind of acrid dust and it catches in your throat. We saw people wandering around into security bases and palaces. And these are places they couldn't have stepped inside before.

And now they're curious, trying to see the insides of this regime that ruled them for so long.

And now they're curious, trying to see the insides of this regime that ruled them for so long.

People are dazed and incredulous. You know, there's celebrations across the country. Like you said, you know, Leila, this regime was in power for over 50 years. And then there was 13 years of devastating civil war. And the Assad family seemed to have won. Then it collapsed like a house of cards. The regime collapsed in the space of just over a week.

People are dazed and incredulous. You know, there's celebrations across the country. Like you said, you know, Leila, this regime was in power for over 50 years. And then there was 13 years of devastating civil war. And the Assad family seemed to have won. Then it collapsed like a house of cards. The regime collapsed in the space of just over a week.

People are dazed and incredulous. You know, there's celebrations across the country. Like you said, you know, Leila, this regime was in power for over 50 years. And then there was 13 years of devastating civil war. And the Assad family seemed to have won. Then it collapsed like a house of cards. The regime collapsed in the space of just over a week.