Muhammad Al-Nahar

ISIS arrested Muhammad al-Nahar one week after his return from Turkey, where he had been working in sanitation. He spent 45 days in the Stadium Prison.

Muhammad recounts how he was arrested, stating that a whole regiment of ISIS members raided his house at one o’clock in the morning on the tenth day of Ramadan. They arrested him and his twin brother too, though his brother was later released. ISIS operatives took him home, and at that point they seized Muhammad’s mobile phone. 

Five charges were brought against Muhammad, including people smuggling; attending a training programme at a Free Syrian Army (FSA) camp; and fighting against ISIS.

Although Muhammad spent 45 days in the Stadium Prison, he wasn’t able to ascertain the names of the guards or how many there were. Prisoners were always blindfolded when interacting with the guards, and the guards wore masks to conceal their identities.

In the investigation room, Muhammad describes the five times he was interrogated. He shares details of the interrogation sessions, the types of questions he was asked, and the methods used by interrogators to trick him into confessing to crimes he hadn’t committed. In addition to beating and flogging him with plastic hoses, the interrogators would sometimes bring in false witnesses. Muhammad says he couldn’t tell who was interrogating him because he was blindfolded, nor did he know if the sessions were being recorded. He adds that ISIS did not try to recruit him, as they knew that such an offer might be accepted just to get out of prison, and that those who got out of prison might then attempt to leave the country.

In solitary cell number seven, Muhammad says he was witness to many traumatic events, the most shocking of which was waking up one morning to find a Korean prisoner hanging from the ceiling.

In solitary cell number 15, where he spent five days, Muhammad tells the story of a prisoner called Anas al-Muftah. At first, Anas did not know what he had been accused of. He once returned from an interrogation session unable to stand, having been subjected to severe torture. Anas told Muhammad that ISIS had falsely accused him of taking and sending pictures of ISIS bases to his brother in Turkey. ISIS jailers told him to repent. After less than half an hour, they took Anas away. As he never saw him again, Muhammad believes Anas was executed. 

Muhammad then leads us on a detailed tour of different sections of the prison, starting with the stairs at the entrance and continuing through to the investigation rooms, the solitary cells, and the group cells. He points out where the bathrooms and toilets were and where the display screen used to display ISIS videos was mounted. He shows us the cramped cells where ISIS jailers suspended prisoners by their wrists for days, including the one where he himself was suspended for around 24 hours.

At this point, Muhammad recounts the psychological and physical torture the prisoners experienced in the large group cell. He asks us to imagine how they had felt when the jailers threw an orange execution suit inside the cell without explaining who it was for. The prisoners were petrified, each wondering whether they were the one who was to be executed. The jailers later retrieved the orange execution suit without taking anyone away.

Muhammad describes the prisoners’ daily routine. In the large group cell, around 70 people of various nationalities were held on all kinds of charges. He talks about the lack of healthcare, the relatively acceptable hygiene, and the food provided. He says that those in the large group cell received larger portions than those in the solitary cells. He explains that the prisoners worked together to keep the cell clean and that they spent time talking to each other.

Finally, Muhammad recounts the details of his release. He was summoned without being blindfolded, which frightened him. The interrogator told him that the sharia judge had decided to release him. However, the interrogator threatened him, swearing “by almighty God” that he would prove all the charges against him, bring him back to prison, and punish him again.

Once the jailers had handed him his belongings from the storage room, they returned Muhammad to the group cell. At this point, some of his fellow inmates secretly passed him the phone numbers of their relatives, and asked him to call them to let them know where they were. A couple of hours later, Muhammad was released.