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Lebanese pop icon Elissa has revealed that a recently freed detainee from Bashar al-Assad's infamous Saydnaya prison is her cousin.

In an emotional post on social media, the singer, whose full name is Elissar Zakaria Khoury, said that Claude Lichaa Al Khoury, who was released after decades of imprisonment, was related to her on her father's side.

In an X post, she claimed that his parents had passed away, reportedly from the heartbreak of being separated from him during his long captivity.

The confirmation came from Jean Fakhry, the head of the Deir al Ahmar Region Municipalities Union, who claimed that Al Khoury had indeed been identified after images and audio recordings of his release had circulated online.

Disappeared for over four decades

Elissa's post has garnered widespread support, with fans and supporters congratulating her and expressing solidarity with her family during the emotional moment.

Al Khoury, a Lebanese Christian, was abducted as a teenager almost 40 years ago by the regime of Bashar al-Assad's father, Hafez, for his opposition to the Syrian occupation of Lebanon.

He was detained at Saydnaya, a notorious facility that has long been synonymous with torture and inhumane treatment under the Assad regime.

His release, following decades of suffering in the brutal prison system, comes the collapse of Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Rebel forces, led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), seized control of Damascus on Sunday, marking the end of more than 50 years of Assad family rule.

'The human slaughterhouse'

Saydnaya prison, located just outside of Damascus, has been a key part of the Assad regime's extensive network of detention facilities used to suppress dissent.

Thousands of detainees, including men, women, and children, have suffered abuse within its walls, often subjected to torture, starvation, and forced labour.

In recent days, disturbing reports have surfaced of the discovery of dozens of bodies bearing signs of torture, found in morgues near the capital.

Saydnaya has long been described as the "human slaughterhouse", where political prisoners were sent to disappear.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 60,000 people have perished in these prisons due to torture, harsh conditions, or executions.

As rescue operations continue, many families are left waiting, hoping for the return of loved ones who disappeared within Assad's detention system.