A Lebanese man recounts the horrors of Assad regime dungeons, where torture broke the will of detainees to resist false charges.
Eighteen years in the dark dungeons of the Assad regime’s prisons turned Lebanese journalist Muaz Merab’s life into a nightmare of unrelenting torture and anguish. Detained in 2006 while returning to Lebanon from Iraq, Merab endured horrors that remain etched into his mind—haunting reminders of the Assad regime’s machinery of terror.
Merab’s ordeal began in Douma, Damascus, when regime forces seized him on his way back home to Tripoli. At the time, he was a father of two young children, ages five and six. By the time of his release, he was a grandfather, having spent more than a third of his life confined to Syria’s infamous prisons.
Recounting his suffering, Merab shared chilling details of the torture tactics used by his captors. “They beat us with electric cables, tearing into our flesh with every strike,” he revealed. Forced nudity, beatings, and relentless psychological intimidation became the grim norm. Among the barbaric methods was the “wheel,” where detainees were tied to a wheel-like contraption, rendering them defenseless as they were mercilessly beaten.
The systemic brutality left prisoners no choice but to surrender to baseless accusations. “We accepted any charges without even reading them, just to stop the pain,” Merab said, his voice heavy with the weight of his memories.
His testimony sheds light on the pervasive and institutionalized nature of the Assad regime’s cruelty, already well-documented by survivors, rights groups, and international watchdogs. Yet, it serves as a sobering reminder of the lingering impunity enjoyed by those responsible for such atrocities.
Merab’s story is not only one of unimaginable suffering but also a testament to resilience in the face of dehumanization. His survival offers a grim glimpse into a regime that continues to wield torture as a tool of oppression, leaving countless untold stories in its wake.
