People stand inside the Saydnaya prison as Syrian rescuers search for potential hidden basements at the facility in Damascus on December 9, 2024. Syrian rescuers searched the Saydnaya jail, synonymous with the worst atrocities of ousted president Bashar al-Assad's rule, as people in the capital on December 9 gathered to celebrate a day after Assad fled while Islamist-led rebels swept into the capital, ending five decades of brutal rule over a country ravaged by one of the deadliest wars of the century. (Photo by Mohammed AL-RIFAI / AFP)