Surviving Syria’s Prisons

They made thousands disappear. Now, the men who carried it out break their silence. In December 2024, the world witnessed the dramatic toppling of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, ending a 13-year civil war. But beneath the celebrations is a grim legacy - over 100,000 Syrians disappeared. Their fate was hidden in prisons, mass graves and secret documents. This film goes inside one of the most brutal campaigns of state repression in modern history - told by those who endured it and those who enforced it. Over two years, the film-makers secured rare access to more than 40 former regime operatives - from intelligence officers to the prison guards who oversaw torture and execution. Their confessions, never heard before, are intertwined with the powerful story of two brothers who survived Syria’s notorious prison network.

Production Companies

BBC Two