A look at Branch 251, known as Al-Khatib

In the final years of Assad’s rule, his regime was so cash-strapped that it resorted to extortionist practices, shaking down businessmen for a cut of their business. Those caught in the dragnet came here, to Branch 251, known as Al-Khatib. You see here the meticulous record-keeping by the operatives here, with files on jewelers and merchants. Another major target was currency exchangers, who were forbidden from trading in dollars. (Even using the word dollar could get you in jail.) Inmates speak of horrific conditions, with dozens sardined into a cell mean for half a dozen, and a meal consisting of one potato, shared three ways. One jeweler told me, it didn’t matter if you were guilty or not. If you didn’t pay, you didn’t get out.