Palestine Branch: The Grave Beneath Damascus

The Palestine Branch was established under Hafez al-Assad in the 1970s ostensibly to monitor Palestinian organizations operating in Syria — a significant political concern given Syria's role in Palestinian politics. However, it rapidly became a general detention and interrogation center for any perceived opponent of the regime. According to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International reports based on survivor testimony, the facility is known for its underground cells — called 'the grave' by detainees — where prisoners are held in total darkness, often unable to stand due to the low ceilings, for periods lasting months or years. The sensory deprivation of the underground cells was used as a form of psychological torture. According to former detainees, the sound of the elevator descending to underground levels became one of the most feared sounds in Damascus.