Misplaced Pages

Mezzeh prison

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
(Redirected from Mezze Prison) Syrian prison closed in 2000
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Mezzeh prison" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (April 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Mezzeh prison (Arabic: سجن المزة) is a now-defunct Syrian prison overlooking the capital, Damascus. Mezzeh (also transcribed as al-Mazzah, el-Mezze etc.) is the name of a neighborhood in western Damascus.

Both military and political prisoners were held at Mezzeh prison. The prison was an infamous embodiment of Syrian government repression. Widespread human rights abuses and torture has been reported from the Mezzeh prison throughout its history but most notably during the rule of Hafez al-Assad (1970–2000).

History

The hilltop structure dates back to crusader days. During the Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon, the French rebuilt it in 1920s and used Mezzeh to house anti-colonial fighters and political prisoners. However, only in 1949, after the first Syrian coup d'état, did the prison take on a central importance for Syrian political life, when coup leader Husni al-Za'im imprisoned his predecessor in Mezzeh only to follow three and half months later when he was himself overthrown. Since then, Syrian leaders deposed in the many coups of the country have almost routinely been sent to Mezzeh prison, and it has held many political prisoners.

Mezzeh prison was closed on the orders of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in September 2000, and about 600 prisoners released. It has reportedly been converted into an institute for historical science.

See also

References

  1. George, Alan (2003). Syria: Neither Bread Nor Freedom. Zed Books. p. 40. ISBN 9781842772133.
  2. "No longer the pariah President". Archived from the original on 2021-03-09. Retrieved 2016-12-17.
Damascus
Historic and
other landmarks
Madrasas and takiyyas
Mosques
Churches
Catholic
Eastern Orthodox
Oriental Orthodox
Synagogues
Historic gates
Souqs and caravanserais
Culture and
education
Entertainment
Streets and squares
Nature
Sport
Venues
Clubs
Municipal districts
Timeline
(List of rulers)
Ba'athist Syria security forces
Military
Law enforcement
Intelligence
Paramilitary/militia
Prisons
Other topics
Syria and weapons of mass destruction (Chemical) Human rights in Syria

33°30′34″N 36°15′5″E / 33.50944°N 36.25139°E / 33.50944; 36.25139


Stub icon

This article about a building or structure in Syria is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Stub icon

This prison-related article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it.

Categories: