Additional Coverage:
- Syrian defector who smuggled torture images out of country warns of hundreds of thousands of deaths (newsbreak.com)
Syrian Defector Warns of Widespread Atrocities
A former Syrian military photographer known as “Caesar” has revealed that the 53,000 haunting images he leaked of tortured and emaciated Syrian detainees are just a glimpse of the horrors committed by the Assad regime.
Caesar smuggled the photographs out of Syria hidden in his underwear. His family reported him kidnapped and murdered to cover his escape.
Caesar estimates that hundreds of thousands of people have been tortured to death in Syria. He has testified anonymously about the atrocities he witnessed and calls for global efforts to hold those responsible accountable.
The images, verified by human rights organizations and the FBI, show emaciated bodies with eyes gouged out and numbers written on them. They were taken at Military Hospital 601 in Damascus, where bodies were documented and photographed.
Mouaz Moustafa, founder of the Syrian Emergency Task Force, assisted in smuggling the photos out of Syria and raising awareness globally. He explained that Caesar hid the USB drives containing the images in his underwear or socks while passing through checkpoints.
Caesar’s photographs led to the Caesar Act, which imposed sanctions on Assad’s regime and its supporters. He remains anonymous and has offered to return to Syria to help with investigations.
He emphasizes that the international community must work to prosecute those responsible for the “worst crimes of the 21st century” and ensure justice for the Syrian people.