Family receives body of son tortured to death in Syrian prison
DARAA, Syria (North Press) – The grief-stricken family of a young man from Daraa Governorate, southern Syria, received on Friday his body after a harrowing year and a half of uncertainty.
The family’s son, Sa’do al-Shar’a, had been imprisoned in the infamous Saydnaya Prison in Damascus countryside, where he ultimately met his tragic end due to “brutal torture behind bars.”
According to local sources cited by the North Press correspondent, al-Shar’a was arrested by Syrian government forces at a checkpoint on the Damascus-Daraa highway.
Al-Shar’a family endured months of unanswered questions before being notified of his death, attributed to relentless torture inflicted during his detention.
al-Shar’a, from the village of al-Madoura in the eastern countryside of Daraa, had once served in the government forces. However, in 2012, he defected and joined the ranks of armed opposition factions during their dominance in Daraa, which lasted until 2018.
Dozens of young men have reportedly died under similar circumstances in Saydnaya Prison, especially those who accepted government reconciliation deals following the government’s re-control of the region in 2018.