My dad was arrested on his way to work
Where is he now, 11 years later?
Sednaya Prison where thousands of political prisoners were kept imprisoned and tortured under the Assad regime in Syria. A place the world came to know as ‘The Human Slaugtherhouse’.
But when the Middle East’s longest dictatorship collapsed on December 8, 2024, something unimaginable happened. The doors of Sednaya Prison swung open. The Assad regime had collapsed. Assad had fled to Russia, and a new government had taken its place.
Families rushed to Sednaya with photographs of their long-lost sons, brothers, and fathers. Among them was a young man named Muhammed and his mother. They sat on the curb outside the prison, waiting for two faces to come out of the prison doors — the father’s and the brother’s.
Prisoners passed them one by one. Hope was ever so living within their hearts. They stopped the prisoners passing by and asked: “Did you see these men”.
But the newly released were still half-inside the prison walls in their minds. Too overwhelmed to recognise their own reflection, let alone another man’s.
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Muhammed talks about Sednaya Prison, where his brother was once held. Photo: Mikkel Hørlyck
Where is my dad now?
When the Assad regime fell last December the prison doors finally opened.
But not all got away from what seemed like eternal pain in the Sednaya Prison. Such as Muhammed’s father and the brother.
Nobody knows what happened to Muhammed’s father to this day… But in the prison files, his brother’s name was found. He was registered as dead – executed after three years in the brutal and notorious prison. He had passed on to a better place, finding peace far from the unimaginable pain inflicted upon him in The Human Slaughterhouse. His earthly remains have never been found.
It has now been 11 years since Muhammed’s father was arrested on his way to work. To this day, not a single trace of him has ever been seen.
Muhammed and his family couldn’t bring themselves to register their father as dead. They still held on to the hope that he would one day appear on the dusty roads, walking freely once more. But now, as a year has passed, the family knows that hope has become a distant dream.
75 % of Syrian Children are Born into War
The 8th December 2025 we are marking the annual anniversary of the Assad-Regimes fall. A regime known for it’s brutal methods. For over a decade, millions of Syrians lived a civil war, fear and unimaginable future. While the fall of the regime marks a turning point, the road to recovery is long. Together with our local partners and supporters, Mission East remains committed to walking it with them, step by step.
We are one of the few Danish NGOs with a permit to operate in government-controlled areas.
This allows us to support Syrians from the north to the south. Our support includes:
1. Protection and trauma support for children and mothers
2. Farming tools to empower communities through help to self-help
3. Small business interventions to strengthen local livelihoods
Read more here.
Today, 75% of Syrian children are born into war. We are determined to help create a different future for them ❤️ We would not be able to do that without our incredible partners and donors.
War’s Shadows Remain
Last week a Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs visited Damascus for the first time in 15 years – a historic step.
The visit show’s the need for international attention and support for the fragile transition which Syria now stands in. For us at Mission East, Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s visit is a reminder why we work as we do in countries coming out of wars:
1. Healing minds: War trauma has many faces – and all must be taken seriously.
2. Stabilization starts with the people – and all people must be included, incl. minorities.
3. Re-building homes is essential for a sustainable future where people can get back on their feet.
Mission East has worked in Damascus for over a decade – providing food, water, psychosocial support, protection, and hope. And are also present in Homs and Aleppo.
And as the country begins a new chapter, we stand ready to collaborate with local partners, and communities to build a brighter future. With support from our Strategic Partnership Agreement (SPA) with the ministry – this can be made possible – thanks Udenrigsministeriet.
