Smell of Death, ISIS Torture Hover over Raqqa Stadium

Center of Raqqa (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Center of Raqqa (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20

Smell of Death, ISIS Torture Hover over Raqqa Stadium

Center of Raqqa (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Center of Raqqa (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Municipal stadium, Black stadium, or Point 11, multiple names for the same place. It is the Raqqa municipal stadium in the center of the city which ISIS built a large prison under its stands.

For years, screams and loud cries have been heard, but they were not cheers of football fans. They were the pain of people who had been apprehended by the terrorist organization and were being brutally tortured.

Instead of organizing football matches and tournaments, torture dominated the practices in the stadium.

In an unjust match, ISIS militants played against the defenseless citizens without a referee to signal the beginning. It is just a game that expresses the end of life of anyone who opposed the strict laws and regulations of the organization.

The municipal stadium was inaugurated in Raqqa in 2006 for the matches and training of the youth team in the Syrian league. After ISIS took control over the whole city, the stadium had several names such as the Black Stadium, in reference to the black era.

ISIS members also called it Security Point 11 and the residents believe that it is likely there are 10 other secret points for detention all over the city.

In mid-October, backed by US-led international coalition, Syrian Arab Democratic Forces regained control over the area after they pushed the terrorist organization from Raqqa.

Asharq Al-Awsat visited the prison of the municipal stadium, divided into two sections: the northern side included 12 large collective halls, three solitary confinement centers, a small room with six cages that appear to be for more severe sentences, investigation office, safe room, and the "brothers" prison where members of ISIS were imprisoned .

The prison administration was in the southern part of the stadium, in addition to six large dormitories, and solitary prisons at the beginning and the end of the entrance.

According to residents living near the prison, the number of detainees exceeded the number of people in the period between 2015 and mid-2016.

A.A., who was the commander of the northern border area said that executions were carried out in the prison of Point 11 on a daily basis. He added that executions were carried out for civilians and anyone opposing the policies of the organization, especially those who were arrested for treason or espionage with the international coalition.

He pointed out that the organization was known for the severe torture, such as putting the prisoner in cages for days or tying his hands for hours.

A.A. is currently imprisoned by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

An ISIS commander from Morocco revealed that after the liberation of Raqqa in June, and the entry of Syrian Democratic Forces into the outskirts of the city, the organization transported the prisoners to Melh Mine, south of the Euphrates River, which later became under the control of Syrian regime forces.

The commander explained that the majority of the foreign hostages and detainees, held either for ransom or exchange, were transferred to the city of al-Mayadin, and then transferred to the border areas between Syria and Iraq.

The official in charge of the foreigners' was Abu Musallam al-Tawhidi, a Jordanian national, while Abu Luqman al-Raqawi, from Raqqa, was responsible for the Syrians.

On the prison's walls, one of the prisoners engraved numbers indicated his imprisonment duration, which seems to have lasted for three months between July and November 2016.

The prisoner wrote: "If you are reading this know that my charge is having a Twitter account."

ISIS monitored the social media and prohibited any contact with foreigners.

A Syrian Democratic Forces fighter Ismail, 26, was imprisoned for about two months in 2015 in the Black Prison because he smoked in secret.

Ismail described the early stages in the prison as the "worst thing ever" during which the detainee was blindfolded and handcuffed for days, and even week, without water or food. He was given a little amount of food during prayer times only to sustain his life.

Ismail explained that a room was set to torturing prisoners where he remains for a duration ranging from one week to 15 days based on his charge and investigation results, and his hands will be tied the whole time.

He added that the prisoner only had one meal per day consisting of one loaf of bread with two tomatoes or potatoes or boiled egg, and sick prisoners are deprived of any type of medication no matter his condition.

According to military officials of the Syrian Democratic Forces, after ISIS had been expelled from Raqqa, they found no trace of the kidnapped and detainees. The organization repainted the walls of solitary cells to erase the names and memories engraved on its walls.

Faisal, a 38-year old lawyer, remembered his three-months imprisonment at the Black Stadium during the summer of 2016 when he went to an Internet cafe to call his refugee relative in a European country.

Soon after, a unit of ISIS' morality police, Hisbah, took him to the Black Prison on charges of contacting elements against the organization.

Faisal added ISIS usually begins torturing with severe beatings without pity, and even resorted to a method where a piece of iron intended to load the engines of cars is used to lift the prisoner from his hands and he remains in that position for hours until he loses consciousness.

After ISIS had been expelled from the city about two months ago, the lawyer was able to enter the prison in the Black Stadium and reminisce.

"When they brought me into the basement of the stadium, smell of death was everywhere and the only sounds I could hear were the cries of tormented prisoners and screams of jailers," he recalled, adding that his charge was contacting foreigners.

Several of ISIS' writings and graffiti are still on the walls of the Black Prison and other public facilities in Raqqa, to remind the residents of a black era under ISIS, as they claimed. The written phrases preached paradise with false promises, warned women to adhere to their religious dress code, and urge young men to "fight" and join the ranks of the terrorist organization.



US Opens Diplomatic Track to Revise Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Deal

07 July 2025, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shakes hands with Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack ahead of their meeting in the presence of US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, in Beirut. Photo: Lebanese Presidency Office Apai/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
07 July 2025, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shakes hands with Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack ahead of their meeting in the presence of US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, in Beirut. Photo: Lebanese Presidency Office Apai/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
TT
20

US Opens Diplomatic Track to Revise Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire Deal

07 July 2025, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shakes hands with Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack ahead of their meeting in the presence of US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, in Beirut. Photo: Lebanese Presidency Office Apai/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
07 July 2025, Lebanon, Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun shakes hands with Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack ahead of their meeting in the presence of US Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson, in Beirut. Photo: Lebanese Presidency Office Apai/APA Images via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

A high-stakes visit by US envoy Tom Barrack to Beirut has opened a “diplomatic window” to de-escalate tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, as Lebanese officials formally submitted a response to a US proposal aimed at ending hostilities – one that includes a path toward disarming Hezbollah.

Barrack’s arrival followed a spike in Israeli military activity that many in Lebanon interpreted as a warning: either accept the US-brokered framework or face the risk of wider conflict.

Lebanese officials told Asharq al-Awsat that Barrack praised Beirut’s “measured and thoughtful” response and plans to study it carefully before relaying his feedback through the US Embassy in Beirut within days. He may return to Lebanon within two weeks if progress continues as expected.

The official response, presented in the name of President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, did not include Hezbollah’s stance.

The group reportedly abstained from joining the presidential committee tasked with drafting the reply.

Still, Berri later submitted separate comments on behalf of the Shiite political alliance that includes his Amal Movement and Hezbollah.

A source close to Berri said the speaker emphasized the need for a “firm and verifiable ceasefire commitment from Israel before any further discussions.”

US Seeks to Patch Ceasefire Gaps

Speaking to reporters in Beirut, Barrack acknowledged that the ceasefire agreement, which paused cross-border fighting in November, lacked strong enforcement mechanisms.

There was no US guarantor in that deal, he said, suggesting that the current talks aim to close those loopholes.

Salam echoed the sentiment, saying the American envoy brought with him “new arrangements to halt hostilities.”

Barrack, who also serves as the US Ambassador to Türkiye and special envoy on Syria, met with Aoun alongside the US ambassador to Lebanon and other officials.

Following the 90-minute meeting, the presidency issued a statement saying Barrack had received “Lebanon’s comprehensive ideas for a solution.”

“Lebanon Must Seize the Moment”

In remarks to journalists, Barrack urged Lebanon to seize what he called a fleeting opportunity for peace and reconstruction.

“What the government gave us was something spectacular in a very short period of time,” Barrack told reporters after meeting Aoun. “I’m unbelievably satisfied with the response.”

Barrack said the current opportunity would require everyone to compromise a little, including letting go of false hopes, unrealistic expectations, and internal hostilities.

When asked about Hezbollah’s rejection of disarmament, Barrack drew a firm line.

He made it clear that the United States has no intention of engaging directly with Hezbollah, insisting that it is up to the Lebanese themselves to address the group’s role. He dismissed any notion that Washington was pushing for regime change or aiming to reshape Lebanon’s sectarian political system.

Instead, he stressed that meaningful reform must come from within, warning that if Lebanon chooses not to act, the rest of the region will continue advancing without it.

Barrack rejected claims that the United States had failed to ensure Israel’s adherence to the previous ceasefire, arguing that the issue stemmed from the absence of a formal security guarantor.

He explained that while a mechanism existed - primarily through UNIFIL - it lacked the authority and credibility needed to enforce compliance. He noted that the Lebanese government is now working to address those shortcomings.

Barrack revealed that Lebanon’s reply addressed 15 specific points. While some differed from the US proposal, he called the Lebanese response “highly responsible.”

He also linked the US initiative to broader international frameworks, including IMF reforms and Lebanese cabinet policies, suggesting that southern Lebanon’s reconstruction and normalization with Israel are part of a larger diplomatic puzzle.

Barrack also pointed to recent developments involving Israel and Syria, revealing that dialogue between the two has begun, and describing the process as complex but necessary.

As for Lebanon's fraught relationship with Israel, Barrack struck a cautiously hopeful tone. "I believe Lebanon and Israel are ultimately seeking the same thing. Israel does not want war with Lebanon, nor does it wish to occupy Lebanon."

Concluding his remarks, Barrack stressed the role of the US, saying, "America cannot provide all the answers. We can only assist from the outside. The real solutions must come from within."