The Syrian Civil Defence announced the end of the search for possible detainees in Saydnaya prison in rural Damascus, without finding any unopened cells or secret basements.

The Civil Defence said in a statement that the prison was home to thousands of innocent people arrested by Bashar al-Assad’s regime, some of whom are believed to have been unable to leave with hundreds of detainees over the past two days.

On 8 December 2024, Syrian opposition forces were able to storm the prison and free the men, women and children inside after entering the Syrian capital Damascus.