The Documentary Podcast Folgen

It has been two weeks since the fall of the Assad regime and the horror of the brutal and corrupt system he oversaw has been laid bare. Since the start of the civil war in 2011, it is estimated that 100,000 people – men, women and children – disappeared without trace into Assad’s prison system. Omar was 15 years old when he was taken from his home to be starved and tortured in the notorious Saydnaya prison near Damascus. He tells Mark Lowen that he can never forgive his captors. After rebel forces released prisoners, families across the country have been able to celebrate the return of loved ones. Meanwhile, others try to discover if their loved ones are still alive. Maan in Damascus, whose older brother Muneer was arrested in 2014, and Hiba, whose father was arrested in Aleppo in 2011, share their experiences.

Members of Turkey’s ancient Jewish community say they feel forced to hide their identities and practice their religion in private, after a marked rise in antisemitism following the 7 October attacks in Israel. Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has maintained a relentless criticism of Israel’s government for its response to Hamas’ 2023 attack. He has accused the Jewish state of genocide and mass murder and nicknamed its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu, “the butcher of Gaza,” as well as comparing him to Adolf Hitler. Over the past year, Erdogan’s charged rhetoric has ricocheted through Turkey’s small but ancient Jewish community. Members say there has been a visible increase in hate speech and antisemitism. Victoria Craig meets members of Turkey’s Jewish community and delves into the unique history of Judaism in Turkey.

***This program contains distressing content. The voices of all active Watermelons have been changed for security reasons*** The Myanmar military is now riddled with soldiers betraying their colleagues. Military green on the outside, rebel red within. They are known as the Watermelons. BBC Eye goes inside the Watermelons unit to reveal how these spies are helping the armed pro-democracy resistance achieve the unthinkable. Nearly four years since seizing power in a coup the Myanmar military now only has full control of less than a quarter of the country.