Inside an ISIS Prison Camp: 60,000 ISIS Prisoners Waiting to Break Free

Описание: In the prisons of Al-Hol and Al-Roj camps, Kurdish forces are managing what many Western countries regard as a time bomb: 60,000 prisoners affiliated with the Islamic State. Nearly three quarters of them are under the age of 15. Here, ISIS still reigns supreme. The prisoners believe it’s only a matter of time before ISIS return and frees them.

Since the fall of the Islamic State’s caliphate five years ago, more than 5,000 children have been born in these camps. “The children are always telling us they’re going to cut our heads off”, says one guard. In defiance of their captors, women and children point their index fingers to the sky, a sign of allegiance to ISIS. “I do not regret anything”, says one. “The five years in Islamic State were the best time of my life ever. There’s nothing to regret.”

In recent months, the prisoners here have regained hope. They believe that the new government in Syria, sympathetic to their ideas, will do everything in its power to free them. As a result, security at the camp has been stepped up. The guards are looking for homemade weapons that could be used against them. They soon make their first discovery: a homemade sword. Since the fall of Bashar al Assad, the United States has also increased its presence on the ground to protect its allies.

The women’s greatest fear is losing their boys. From the age of 12, they can be taken away and placed in deradicalisation centres. So to avoid having their children taken away from them, mothers conceal their births and try hide them by any means. The Orkesh deradicalisation centre is one of the places these children are taken to. Adem Clain’s father was responsible for the 2015 Paris attacks. He arrived in Syria at the age of 12 and became a ‘cub of the caliphate’. Initially, he was separated from his mother and sent to Orkesh, but recently, he was transferred to a high security prison. Officially, it’s because of his allegedly dangerous behaviour at Orkesh; but for him, it’s just a pretext. He believes he is being punished for the sins of his father.

We met other sons of jihadists who all arrived in Syria when they were just children. The ‘lion cubs of the Caliphate’ were presented as the future generation of terrorists, destined to carry out attacks in the West. Today, they are morally broken teenagers, who often bear the scars of war.

This documentary was produced by Yemaya Productions and directed by Chris Hurby. It was first released in 2024.

---

SUBSCRIBE for more amazing stories, including free FULL documentaries. On Java Discover we have an incredible library of award-winning documentaries: from world-leading investigations to true crime and history, we have something for everyone!

Click the SUBSCRIBE button and make sure to set NOTIFICATIONS to stay updated with all new content!

Follow us on TikTok, Facebook & Instagram: https://linktr.ee/javadiscover