ALBAWABA - The arrest of Aws Salloum, dubbed the "Angel of Death of Saydnaya," has sparked intense social media responses. Along with a re-released video of the late Syrian activist Mazen Hamada, who spoke about torture in Syrian jails and mentioned a vicious jailer known as "Azrael," images of Salloum in military uniform and during his detention became viral online.
Salloum was captured during a security sweep in Homs that targeted Assad regime remnants, according to the "Deterring Aggression" Operations Room. Videos purportedly depicting his arrest in the city were circulated by activists.
Salloum, who joined the government's security services and became well-known for his ruthless acts, was born in Al-Qabu, a town in rural Homs that was renowned for its support of the Assad administration. His notorious reputation for torture and killings has led to survivors at Saydnaya Prison, often known as the "human slaughterhouse," referring to him as "Azrael."
Salloum is said to have carried out more than 500 executions, using cruel techniques including slamming inmates' skulls with concrete blocks. He is notorious for his tremendous aggression and terror-inducing abilities, making him one of the most dreaded enforcers, according to former inmates.
In a previously shared video, activist Mazen Hamada described a run-in with the jailer known as "Azrael." Hamada remembered the guy, who was often drunk, coming to the jail hospital at midnight and feigning to provide medication. A fellow Darayya prisoner, according to Hamada, told others not to raise their hands, stating, "If you do, you’ll die."
In one instance, a Ghouta prisoner volunteered and was given a death sentence by "Azrael," who then pounded him with an iron rod studded with nails until his head was severed. The corpse of Hamada, who subsequently perished under torture, was found in a military hospital after the overthrow of Assad's government.
Opposition fighters liberated captives from government jails and revealed the horrors carried out there after Assad was overthrown on December 8. Particularly notable for its history of horrifying torture was Saydnaya Prison. But with tales of mass graves popping up all throughout Syria, the fate of hundreds of missing inmates is still unclear.
