The #Assad regime's murderous dictatorship in #Syria has fallen. Syrians are elated and their moods seem to be a mix of celebration and apprehension. Amid these rapid changes, this is a reminder what the regime was most infamous for: militias, massacres, and prisons. A thread 🧵 1. Militias: The Arabic term #Shabbiha refers to pro-regime paramilitary groups characterized by their involvement in the state-sanctioned repression of the #demonstrations in 2011. They operated above the law and enforced regime power through very brutal forms of violence.

On 16 April 2013, the #Assad regime’s Military Intelligence massacred over 100 civilians (including women and children) in Damascus by driving them to an alley in Tadamon neighborhood, taking them to a pre-dug pit, and executing them one by one. (1/4) bit.ly/3OFK9Ee The perpetrators videotaped the entire massacre, by far the worst footage I have seen in 11 years of violence in Syria. We obtained the videos, analyzed them, managed to find the main perpetrator on Facebook, and interviewed him. (2/4) Full story by @martinchulov in @guardian.