Barhoum, one of the many freed prisoners, walked out into the streets of Damascus, overwhelmed with disbelief. “I haven’t seen the sun until today,” he told The Associated Press, his voice trembling with relief. After years of being hidden away in the dark and brutal confines of a Syrian prison, the light of day had finally touched his face. “Instead of being dead tomorrow, thank God, he gave me a new lease of life,” he added. For many like Barhoum, freedom came with joy, but also with the painful realization of the horrors they had endured and the countless others who had perished behind bars.