In brief
Douna Haj Ahmed discovered the harrowing past of her husband, Abdullah Al Nofal, a Syrian refugee, as he recounted his experiences in Al-Khatib prison after Bashar al-Assad's regime was challenged. Through this emotional revelation, they hope to raise awareness of the brutal realities faced by many Syrians during the civil war.
It was in December that Douna Haj Ahmed's life took a darker turn as she witnessed her husband's hidden past emerge before her eyes. Abdullah Al Nofal, a Syrian refugee now residing in London, revealed the disturbing details of his detention in Al-Khatib prison, a place infamous for its brutal conditions and termed "Hell on Earth." The moment was triggered by a news broadcast showing prisoners fleeing Bashar al-Assad’s oppressive regime. At that moment, Abdullah turned to Douna in tears, affirming, “This is where I was arrested, this is the place.” For Douna, who had already seen her brothers suffer at the hands of the same regime, this was a pivotal moment that opened doors to the realities and traumas her husband faced during his imprisonment.Over the years of their marriage, Douna always sensed her husband’s emotional distance. “Abdullah does not like to share things emotionally,” she stated, further noting, “It was a turning point. I saw him weak. I saw him crying.” The couple has resolved to highlight the plight of Syrians and ensure their voices are heard.Abdullah’s ordeal commenced in July 2013 when he was stopped at a checkpoint outside Damascus while working as a storekeeper with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Although he had participated in peaceful protests at the uprising's inception, he distanced himself as the protests escalated into violence. On that fateful day, he was separated from his colleagues and detained, placed on a bus with other prisoners, and subsequently subjected to three days of solitary confinement.Describing the darkness he endured during those days, Abdullah recounted, “It was so dark for three days...you feel so lonely.” He was eventually transferred to Al-Khatib, a military detention center notorious for rampant torture and abuse. Reports indicate that around 60,000 individuals were subjected to torture or perished in prisons like Al-Khatib during the civil war, underlining the grave human rights violations orchestrated by the Assad regime.Abdullah relayed hearing the screams of others being tortured, noting the rampant spread of disease that led to the deaths of fellow detainees. He saw people in a dire state, and recognized that escape from brutal interrogation was often impossible: “If you are not tortured yourself, every minute they will take someone to the investigation.”After twelve days of harrowing experiences and relentless beatings, Abdullah was lucky to be released after a month in detention. He managed to leave Syria a year later, eventually finding sanctuary in London with Douna. Now, the couple feels liberated enough to share their stored pain. “We can tell the full story,” Abdullah affirmed, savoring a newfound sense of freedom.Douna, also a human rights activist, acknowledged the gravity of the stories now revealed to her, saying, “Every time I feel that this regime has reached the maximum of the horrors, it surprises me that, no, this is not the maximum.” Her emotional revelation about her husband’s trauma is a call to action; they believe in their privilege to share these stories, ensuring that the voices of those who suffered are not forgotten or silenced.
