Al-Fazia': the Horror: Surviving Syria's Prisons

Al-Faẓia’: The Horror is a powerful graphic novel that tells the story of a young Syrian dissident who survived military imprisonment and was ultimately forced to flee to Europe. Based on personal interviews between political prisoner Akram Al Saud and graphic artist Tobi Dahmen, Al-Faẓia’: The Horror vividly depicts the life of a man who found the courage to resist in the face of unfathomable terror. Al-Faẓia’: The Horror follows the harrowing journey of Akram Al Saud, a nineteen-year-old architecture student in Aleppo whose life was upended by an unjust arrest in 2010. After nine months in Assad’s prisons, he joined the revolution, endured further arrests, and was finally forced to flee to Europe in 2016. Restoring agency to Al Saud’s experiences as a survivor, this graphic novel portrays his life with authenticity and sensitivity. A rich appendix offers historical context and a behind-the-scenes look at the project’s creation. Created as part of the international Survivor-Centred Visual Narratives (SCVN) project, this book offers an impactful, arts-based way to share the experiences of those who have suffered at the hands of human rights abuses. This unique work resulting from the collaboration between Al Saud and Dahmen serves as an example of how the unspeakable can find expression in art.