Hours after President Bashar al-Assad’s overthrow, rebel fighters, on Monday, reported finding approximately 40 bodies showing signs of torture in Harasta Hospital’s mortuary a military facility in a Damascus suburb, BBC reported.
Graphic videos and photos show the corpses, wrapped in blood-stained white shrouds, piled in a refrigerated room. Some bore visible wounds, bruises, and adhesive tape with their identifying numbers and names.
“I opened the door of the mortuary with my own hands; it was a horrific sight,” Mohammed al-Hajj, a southern Syria rebel told BBC. The fighters investigated after receiving a tip from a hospital staff member about bodies being dumped there.
Following the disturbing discovery, al-Hajj stated that the rebels notified their military command and coordinated with the Syrian Red Crescent, which transported the remains to another Damascus hospital for family identification.
The bodies were at different stages of decomposition, leaving the timeline of their deaths unclear. Human rights groups have long accused the Assad regime of widespread torture and extrajudicial killings.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights estimates nearly 60,000 people were tortured and killed in government prisons during Assad’s rule.
The discovery at Harasta came as Syria civil defense teams concluded a search at Saydnaya prison. Despite using advanced techniques and K9 units, searchers found no detainees in secret cells or basements.
“We share the profound disappointment of families of the thousands who remain missing,” said the organization. Crowds had gathered around the facility, hoping for news of their loved ones.