2. Tadmor Military Prison
Tadmor Military Prison near Palmyra, Syria, is widely regarded as one of the most brutal jails in the world. “Every part of it was designed to demean its people,” according to Amnesty International.
In June 1980, the most infamous occurrence in the prison’s history occurred. President Hafez al-Assad survived a Muslim Brotherhood assassination attempt. In retribution for the attack, he is said to have ordered soldiers to execute any prisoner insight.
Tadmor was closed in 2001 and then reopened in 2011. Today’s conditions are no less harsh.