32nd Anniversary of the Hasaka Prison Massacre

ARK News.. Today, Monday, March 24, 2025, marks the 32nd anniversary of the Hasaka Prison Massacre in Ghweiran Prison, located in the city of Hasaka, in Syrian Kurdistan. The massacre claimed the lives of dozens of Kurdish prisoners at the hands of the Ba'athist regime on March 24, 1993. According to activists and eyewitnesses at the time, the prison was deliberately set on fire by the regime.

Details of the Hasaka Prison Fire Massacre
Hasaka Prison was built in the 1960s during the Syrian-Egyptian union. Initially designed to accommodate around 200 inmates, the Syrian regime overcrowded it with many times its intended capacity.

Before the tragic fire, prisoners endured dire conditions due to widespread corruption among prison guards and administrators. The Ba'athist regime intentionally housed political detainees alongside criminals convicted of theft, robbery, and drug-related offenses to create internal conflicts within the prison wards.

How Did the Fire Start, and Who Was Behind It?
Several former prisoners confirmed that the fire broke out around 6:00 PM on March 24, 1993, engulfing the second ward of Hasaka Central Prison. According to testimonies, the fire was deliberately started with the collusion of prison authorities and criminal inmates involved in drug trafficking.

Eyewitnesses reported that prison authorities distributed kerosene to inmates under the pretense that it would soon become unavailable. This led prisoners to store large quantities of it in their cells. The group collaborating with the prison administration then set the fire, which rapidly spread throughout the ward. Despite the prisoners' desperate cries for help, the guards refused to open the doors.

As the flames intensified and spread uncontrollably—especially due to the large amounts of kerosene stored inside—the situation became catastrophic. At this critical moment, a prisoner named Qahraman Ali from the third ward managed to seize a guard's key by force, unlocking the ward door and allowing some prisoners to escape. However, due to the ward's 30-meter length and the rapid spread of the fire, not all inmates managed to get out. The inferno resulted in the deaths of approximately 61 prisoners, while others suffered severe burns and suffocation. According to eyewitnesses, all prisoners in the ward ultimately perished due to suffocation before being consumed by the flames.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, which left over 61 dead and nearly 100 injured, the Syrian regime executed four individuals, accusing them of starting the fire. This move was widely seen as an attempt to cover up the true circumstances of the massacre and the regime’s role in orchestrating it.

A Massacre Shrouded in Mystery
Despite 32 years having passed since the Hasaka Prison Fire Massacre, many details surrounding the incident remain unclear. However, testimonies from survivors and Kurdish political figures consistently point to the Syrian regime’s involvement, accusing it of deliberate and premeditated complicity in the tragedy.

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