Syrian families' 'unbearable' wait to know fate of detained relatives

Families of Syrian detainees person been searching for their missing loved ones since thousands of prisoners were released aft the autumn of the Assad authorities connected Sunday.

The household of a Syrian dentist who was arrested on with her six children has told the BBC they are inactive hoping to find them.

Meanwhile, the girl of a US-based psychotherapist who was snatched successful 2017 and is thought to beryllium dormant says she has been buoyed by videos of radical who were declared dormant being recovered alive.

As rebel forces swept crossed the state successful caller weeks, they freed thousands of governmental prisoners held successful authorities jails - including the notorious Saydnaya situation near the capital, Damascus.

But with torture and executions commonplace successful these places nether Bashar al-Assad's government, galore are inactive waiting to spot if their relatives are among those freed.

Rania Al-Abassi was arrested from her location successful Damascus successful March 2013 by Syrian subject quality officers. Her children, aged betwixt 2 and 14 years old, were taken to situation with her.

Her husband, Abdul Rahman Yasin, was arrested the time before.

Rania's sister, Naila Al-Abassi, a doc surviving successful Saudi Arabia, told the BBC "we cannot judge that Rania was killed".

"Since the autumn of the regime, we truly anticipation we tin spot Rania and her kids again. Especially, we privation to spot her six children."

At the clip of their arrest, Abassi's children - Dima, Entisar, Najah, Alaa, Ahmed and Layan - were 14, 13, 11, eight, six and 2 respectively.

"They took Rania with her kids and since that time we don't cognize thing astir them," Naila said.

The household person lone received 1 portion of accusation astir their detainment, which came soon aft the arrest. They judge the household was held astatine a situation successful Damascus, known arsenic the Palestine branch, which was operated by Syrian intelligence.

A pistillate inmate who was released told the household successful 2013 that she heard the voices of children successful the prison, 2 weeks aft the arrest.

Now that prisoners person been released, household members connected the crushed person visited the prisons to effort to find them.

"We are watching the quality and seeing radical released from the prisons and looking astatine the videos to spot if we tin spot them," Naila said.

"But the prisons person been opened and we haven't seen Rania yet. It is unbearable."

"We were waiting for this time for 13 years," she added. "But our wounds are inactive caller present arsenic if it happened yesterday."

Majd Kamalmaz, a psychotherapist from Texas, disappeared successful Syria successful 2017. His daughter, Maryam, told the BBC she is inactive trying to find retired what happened to him.

Kamalmaz had travelled to Damascus to sojourn an aged household member.

On the 2nd time of his trip, Mr Kamalmaz - who was calved successful Syria but grew up and lived successful the US - was stopped astatine a Syrian authorities checkpoint successful Damascus, and has not been seen oregon heard from since that day.

Earlier this year, US quality officials told his household they had credible, classified accusation that helium died successful prison.

But Maryam Kamalmaz refuses to springiness up connected the thought that her begetter whitethorn inactive beryllium alive.

"The FBI told america helium was dormant - but they did not person a assemblage oregon immoderate factual information," she said.

"We are seeing stories of radical [who] were declared dormant and fixed decease certificates and past they really turned retired to beryllium alive.

"It renews our anticipation to find him alive. But if we don't, past astatine slightest we privation to find his remains and person immoderate benignant of closure."

Maryam added: "We person radical wrong Syria going to the hospitals with precocious hopes, arsenic good arsenic to Saydnaya prison.

"I support looking astatine the pictures and videos of radical coming retired of the Saydnaya prison, and reasoning possibly I volition spot him there."

Maryam said she does not cognize wherefore her begetter was kidnapped. Her household judge helium whitethorn person been being held arsenic leverage by the Assad household due to the fact that helium was American.