Mazen al Hamada survived regime torture to tell the world of Syria's horrors

He didn't understand why the world wouldn't listen. He returned to Syria in 2020. His parents identified his body in Sednaya

This was the last time I saw Mazen al Hamada. He came to Princeton to describe Syria’s state sponsored torture. He acted out what happened to him to a shocked Princeton audience. He lectured around the world. His face told the story of his suffering.

“He had endured torture so cruel, so unimaginable, that his retellings carried almost otherworldy weight. When he spoke, it was it he stared into the face of death itself,” wrote photographer Sakir Khader about his friend.

He was granted asylum in the Netherlands in 2014 but over time he became disillusioned by his role as a witness. He could not understand why the world would not act. To the shock and horror of his friends, he disappeared in 2020 and turned up in Damascus.

His friend, Sakir Khader, in an interview with the Guardian, said that the Dutch authorities cut off his support. “He was returning to Damascus as his only option.”

Mazen Al-Hamada’s body was discovered at Sednaya prison. He family identified him. He did not live long enough to see Syria free.