A man lies on a metal surface—emaciated, dead. He is photographed from multiple angles, revealing chipped, yellow teeth and cloudy, frosted-glass eyes. He is labeled No. 3659.
Another man, No. 4038, is found in the back of a van, his naked, shriveled body speckled with blood, attracting flies. The activist Mazen al-Hamada, No. 1174, lies in his prison uniform on a marble floor, his wrists bearing the imprint of restraints and his bare feet bruised.
Among the victims is a newborn baby, designated No. 2389.
The images, part of the Damascus Dossier, depict more than 33,000 photographs of individuals—nearly all men—arrested and killed by the Assad regime between 2015 and 2024. The photographs, captured by Syrian military photographers, reveal bodies stacked like firewood, skeletal remains with visible ribs and collarbones.
These images are the result of a systematic killing process orchestrated by former Syrian president Bashar Assad. A former military officer, who served as the head of the Evidence Preservation Unit of the military police in Damascus between 2020 and 2024, provided the images, stating, “There are things people need to know…There are people whose families need to know where they are and what happened to them.”
Until recently, the Syrian public was unaware of the existence of these photographs.
Assad, now reportedly living under asylum in Russia, oversaw a 13-year civil war in Syria, sparked by anti-government protests. His government responded by abducting and killing those deemed political opponents. The Syrian Network for Human Rights estimates that more than 160,000 people have been disappeared by the Assad regime, though the actual number may be significantly higher.
A History of Repression
The Assad dynasty began in the 1970s with Hafez al-Assad, who established a single-party militarized state. His son, Bashar, assumed power in 2000, implementing economic policies that deepened national divisions. The 2011 Arab Spring protests were met with violence, leading to a prolonged civil war and international sanctions. In December 2024, rebel forces toppled the Syrian government, and Assad fled to Moscow.
The Damascus Dossier reveals a chilling process: prisoners were photographed after death, often with a numbered card placed on their bodies. These images were then sent to military courts, where judges signed off on the deaths, granting judicial immunity to those responsible, according to the former military officer.
The images show that victims often bore signs of starvation and physical harm, and were frequently naked. The photographs were meticulously organized, including the inmate’s number, photographer’s name, date, and the security branch involved in the arrest.
While many victims are identified only by numbers, roughly 320 names have been extracted from the images, including Adel, Hassan, Malik, Walid, Hussein, Youssef, Saad, Fadi, Yassin, and Fatima.
A family member of activist Mazen al-Hamada, one of those killed, expressed a sense of pride in his sacrifice, stating, “Freedom…was made possible by the sacrifices of Mazen and the other martyrs who gave their lives so cheaply for our sake.”
The release of these images could lead to further investigations and prosecutions, building on the precedent set by the 2020 trial in Germany that resulted in the life imprisonment of former Syrian colonel Anwar Raslan and a 4½-year sentence for Eyad al-Gharib. The images also echo the impact of the earlier “Caesar photos,” which led to the passage of the Caesar Act, imposing sanctions on the Assad regime.
What steps the new Syrian government or international authorities take next—whether to use the images as evidence or to share them with families seeking answers—could offer a measure of closure to tens of thousands of families and restore dignity to the deceased.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Damascus Dossier?
The Damascus Dossier is an investigation based on a cache of more than 134,000 records, including over 33,000 photographs, obtained by German broadcaster NDR and shared with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and 24 media partners. It sheds light on the inner workings of the former Syrian government’s security and intelligence agencies.
Who provided the images?
The images were provided by a former military officer who served as the head of the Evidence Preservation Unit of the military police in Damascus between 2020 and 2024. He shared the images with NDR, stating that people needed to know what happened to those who disappeared.
What happened to the Caesar photos?
The Caesar photos, smuggled out of Syria between 2011 and 2013, led to the first-ever torture trial against the Assad regime in Germany in 2020, resulting in the imprisonment of Anwar Raslan and Eyad al-Gharib. They also inspired the U.S. Caesar Act, which imposed sanctions on the Assad government.
What will be the lasting impact of revealing these images to the world?
