Baschar Barhoum, a 63-year-old writer, was rescued from the notorious Sednaja prison in Syria just before his execution. Insurgents led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched an operation to free political prisoners, releasing tens of thousands, including women and children, from various prisons across the country. The Sednaja prison, labeled as a ‘human slaughterhouse,’ has been a site of extensive torture since the civil war began. While many prisoners were freed, some remain trapped in secret cells, with rescue efforts ongoing amid grave conditions.