French, German Foreign Ministers tour notorious Saydnaya prison near Damascus
German envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneck, shared photographs from the inspection on social media platform X, describing the scenes within Saydnaya as "indescribably horrific."
Jan. 3, 2025
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Syria's infamous Saydnaya prison facility near Damascus on Friday.
The ministers' visit to the detention center indicates a decisive step in Western diplomatic engagement with Syria's new administration.
The top European delegation toured the prison's cells and facilities, documenting conditions in what was formerly one of Syria's most secretive and dreaded detention centers.
German envoy to Syria, Stefan Schneck, shared photographs from the inspection on social media platform X, describing the scenes within Saydnaya as "indescribably horrific."
The diplomatic tour of Saydnaya prison occurred during a broader diplomatic mission to Damascus, where the ministers are set to meet with Ahmed al-Sharaa, Commander-in-Chief of Syria's new administration, to discuss the country's political transition and future relations with European nations.
Saydnaya prison, situated nearly 30 kilometers north of Damascus, gained infamy during the Assad regime for alleged human rights violations and systematic abuse of detainees.
Human rights organizations had formerly documented extensive torture and extrajudicial executions at the facility, though access was severely restricted.
This unprecedented access granted to Western diplomats embodies a noteworthy change in Syria's new leadership and suggests potential reforms in the country's detention system.
The visit also underlines European attempts to evaluate human rights conditions and institutional changes in post-Assad Syria.
