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Syria: Outrage after group paints over 'history and evidence' in prison

Social media users accuse group of deliberately erasing the memories of those imprisoned by Assad government
Screengrab from the video by group Sawaaed Al-Khair depicting them painting the walls of a prison in Latakia, Syria (X)

A group in Syria sparked widespread outrage this week after painting the walls of a prison, sparking accusations of tampering with history and potential evidence of human rights violations against those who were imprisoned under ousted president Bashar al-Assad.

The group Sawaaed Al-Khair (Goodwill Arms) posted a video depicting members painting the walls of the Political Security Directorate in Latakia with positive messages and the revolutionary flag. Appearing to lead the team was Yazan Fwity, who was a presenter for the formerly state-funded Syria TV channel.

Social media users slammed the video, with many Syrians and activists accusing the group of disrespecting the memories of those who were imprisoned and attempting to erase potential evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

"Could this initiative be more dumb? More inconsiderate? Erasing someone's arrest memories from a wall is not worth celebrating. It is one of the worst things you can do to those who have suffered in Assad's dungeons," responded one user. 

Prisons and detention centres were central to the Assad government's security apparatus, used to suppress dissent, and notorious for their widespread and systematic use of physical and psychological torture, sexual violence, degrading and inhumane treatment, and mass executions.

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Over 130,000 people were detained or disappeared over the years.

Following the ousting of Assad on 8 December, photos and videos from inside the prisons shared on social media revealed that many detainees used the walls of their cells to chronicle their experiences, express their suffering, and inscribe their names and relatives’ phone numbers.

For Syrians, many of whom are still searching for information about their missing relatives, these markings could be used as potential evidence to support investigations and trials against those responsible.

"What is happening is a real crime against detainees and martyrs and an erasure of history and evidence that condemns this regime," said one user on X.

"This behavior cannot be tolerated, and there must be accountability for everyone who contributes to obscuring the facts and playing with people's pain to achieve political gains or exonerate criminals."

Another posted: "Prisons, detention centers, and state security branches are not stages for buffoonery or platforms for creating trends."

The outrage surrounding the video prompted the members of the initiative to later delete the video and clarify that they did not paint the walls of all the cells, but only worked in the outer waiting room. They added that they had obtained security approval for their activities.

Later, the group's social media pages were also deleted.

Middle East Eye reached out to Yazan Fwity, who said that the video was a “big mistake” in both timing and execution.

 “We never approached or erased any revolutionary engravings,” he said, adding that the room painted was a dining hall, not prison cells.

He also stated that the group’s intention was to transform the “idea” of a torture site into one symbolising freedom, but they realised that the video deeply hurt detainees’ families searching for their loved ones.
 
“This mistake was catastrophic and… will never be repeated,” he said.

Online, activists and online users continued to voice their disapproval, calling for those responsible for permitting the volunteer group’s actions to be held accountable.

Syrian activist Celine Kasem said she believed the people involved, including those who granted them permission, were aware of the implications of what they were doing. 

She posted: “I’m so angry. These people are not stupid, they know what they’re doing, some were mouthpieces for regime media. Is it logic that they lack? Is it intentional? WHY is it being allowed? We demand these people & who allowed them to do this to be held responsible for this crime.”

Many Syrians are now demanding stricter security measures across all prisons.

"Unfortunately this is a selfish and irresponsible act. Legal authorities should consider serious measures to protect such security dungeons that carry a lot of heartbreaking stories from the brutal collapsed regime," one user wrote.

"Why the building wasn't protected by guards or at least locked up worth a warning at the door? That's insane and irresponsible. Arrest all of them. Forever!" Another user added.

In a statement, rights monitor Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) called on the authorities to investigate the Sawaaed Al-Khair team for "tampering with crime scenes" and take measures to prevent unauthorised access to the prisons.

"This irresponsible behavior poses a direct threat to efforts to document the violations that are believed to have taken place at this facility, to determine the fate of detainees who were held there, and to hold those involved in their torture accountable," the group said.

This article was updated on 6 February 2025 with comments by Yazan Fwity.

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