'I am nothing more than media subject, Humanitarian Organisations ignore us': former detainee

(Writing by Faris al Rifai; Translation by Yusra Ahmed)

(Zaman Al Wasl)- A former detainee expressed the feeling of disappointment and pain she felt because of neglect and carelessness she faced after freeing.

The former detainee explained that she with other 7 detainees were transferred from Adra prison in a car of a colonel of the National Defence forces to get freed.

In her talk to Zaman Al Wasl, she explained that memories of her experience in branch 291 and investigation in branch 251 and military security and that cruel military judge still chasing her.

She explained that she was transferred to terrorism court and then was transferred to Adra prison and was freed after a year and a half.

The freed detainee explained her feeling of lostness and fear for weeks after freeing, and how she was not able to do anything, and expressed her surprise how she managed to arrive to Turkey.
“When I first arrived to Turkey, I felt myself a heroine coming from Damascus, but later I felt that freedom inside the prison was more than outside” she explained in pain.

The detainee detailed that when she was in prison, she was full of hope and challenge and determination to get free, but when she was freed, she felt pain and disappointment, as she felt that she was nothing more than a subject suitable for media reports or an incentive to people’s queries and curiosity.

She added that she knew more than 200 humanitarian organisations and figures work and get attention because of their loud voice in talking about detainees and prisoners, but in reality, she received nothing from them apart from their pictures and public speech.

She revealed that she knew hundreds of smart female detainees had brilliant ideas and initiatives, but they were faced with ignorance and neglect by most of people represent the revolution.

Our contact explained that hundreds women are still in prison many of them were sentenced for 6 years, and fines of millions. She called the humanitarian organisations to work to reveal their fate, as many of them were reported missing.

She mentioned that the detainees matters is now better than the time when she was arrested, as there is international interest in them, but still “save the rest” campaign is not enough.

In the end, she forwarded a message to her friends in prison: “take care of yourselves my dearest friends, I wish you get freed soon and be sure that prison’s door will not stay closed, and unfairness will go away one day”