The inmates of north-east Syria's Panorama Prison for alleged ISIS fighters have had no contact with the outside world for years. For the 4,500 detainees of 46 nationalities, locked in austere cells from which the smell of bodies confined for too long seeps into the corridor, time has frozen since their capture in the final battle against the militant group in 2019.
In each cell, around 20 men of all ages sit in silence on thin mattresses, awaiting a trial that might never happen – or a rare visit from a journalist. A deadly fate awaits some due to a rampant tuberculosis epidemic that has already killed several in recent outbreaks, according to the prison administration.
The facility in the city of Hassakeh is part of a network of prisons holding ISIS members, including 9,000 detainees in prisons and tens of thousands of ISIS-linked families in closed camps managed by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed alliance led by Syrian Kurdish fighters that runs a semi-autonomous region in the north-east of the country.
These ISIS prisoners – described as a “ticking bomb” by the Kurdish-led administration – have long been forgotten by the international community. Few countries have taken the initiative to repatriate their citizens and launch judicial proceedings against them.
The National was granted rare access to Panorama Prison a few days after SDF security forces foiled an attack by ISIS sleeper cells – one of many recent attempts to free their fellow fighters. SDF officials say such incidents have surged since the ousting of former Syrian president Bashar Al Assad in a lightning offensive led by the Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS) group in December.
Kurdish officials told The National that since the collapse of the Assad regime after more than 50 years, ISIS prisons have been facing pressing security challenges, as remnants of the militant group use political and security turmoil to mobilise.
“ISIS is trying to take advantage of the security vacuum to launch attacks,” Rukan Jamal, head of media for the People's Defence Units (YPG) – the most powerful group within the SDF, told The National.
Turkey, along with Turkish-backed groups – long-time enemies of the YPG – launched a campaign in northern Syria in December, coinciding with the offensive that toppled the Assad regime.
Ms Jamal said that, because of the continuing conflict, SDF fighters had to divert their focus away from ISIS-related threats to the Turkish front – a shift that has been exploited by ISIS groups.
“The attacks have drastically surged, with five attempts against the Panorama Prison since the fall of the regime, all of which we were able to foil,” she said.
“These attacks are not just directed at the prisons but also the camps – it’s a way for ISIS to show power and let detainees know that they are still mobilised.”
In 2022, a brazen ISIS attack on the Panorama Prison led to 10 days of bloody fighting in Hassakeh, forcing the intervention of US and British forces, before the SDF regained control of the facility.
“It will be chaos if the detainees are let out, in Syria and all over the world,” she said.
'The most dangerous fighters'
During the visit, The National interviewed two detainees through a small window in the heavy cell doors, in the presence of prison administrators. Masked guards led the way through parts of the facility, framed by barricades of barbed wire, from the interior courtyard heated by the warm midday sun to the guarded corridors.
Both detainees denied being fighters and claimed to have provided “humanitarian” assistance in ISIS-held territory during the war.
A prison administrator, speaking on the condition of anonymity for security reasons, told The National that all prisoners were fighters captured during ISIS's last battle in Baghouz in 2019. “These are the most dangerous fighters. We have information, which we shared with the US-led coalition, that none of them are innocent,” the official said, referring to a global coalition was formed in 2014 to defeat ISIS.
UK national Ibrahim Ageed said he was captured in 2019 near the Turkish border. The native of Leicester, in central England, said he joined ISIS in 2015 to help treat the injured at a hospital in Raqqa. He denies ever being a fighter.
Reports said he and his brother, then 25 and 23, travelled to Syria as medical students. While saying he regretted joining, he declined to comment on the actions of ISIS.
“ISIS had their reasons for what they did. I’m responsible for my own actions only,” he said.
He said he has been detained for six years without contact with his family and no communication from UK diplomats. The SDF has long urged foreign governments to repatriate their detained citizens.
The second detainee, who identified himself as Zacharia, 57, described himself as Palestinian and said he had lived in Germany for more than 15 years. He claimed to have played a humanitarian role and insisted he never had any official allegiance to ISIS – though he also refused to condemn the group’s actions.
One of the conditions for journalists being allowed to conduct interviews is that they must withhold information about the outside world – including the fall of the Assad regime and the war in Gaza. Both prisoners appeared to be cut off from external events. Zacharia said he hoped to return to Germany or Gaza, “or anywhere else at peace”.
The Kurdish-led administration is worried about inmates learning about the new Syrian government, which is led by HTS, an al Qaeda affiliate until 2016.
Officials say this news would boost the morale of inmates. They say they considers HTS’s ideology to be very similar to that of the militant groups they have fought for years.
Dozens of kilometres from Hassakeh, Jihan Hanan, head of Al Hol Camp for families of ISIS members, told The National that detainees from the foreign section there had already packed their belongings a few days after the fall of the regime.
“They thought Jawlani was going to open the gates and liberate them,” she said. Interim President Ahmad Al Shara, who led the HTS in the assault that toppled the Assad regime, formerly used the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed Al Jawlani.
The Kurdish-led authorities have raised concerns after reports of a US troop withdrawal from Syria under President Donald Trump. “ISIS is only waiting for this,” said Farhad Chami, head of the SDF media centre, adding that ISIS has seized weapons belonging to the Assad regime, posing a major risk.
“They're not gone, their ideology is still strong,” he said.
The rules of the road keeping cyclists safe
Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads
Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike
They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users
Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance
They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
Palestine and Israel - live updates
MATCH INFO
FA Cup final
Chelsea 1
Hazard (22' pen)
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
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Results
2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly
3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
