THOUSANDS of Syrian refugees returned residence yesterday hoping for a brighter future after dictator Bashar al-Assad was toppled.

Others feared the worst, as they gathered exterior the tyrant’s demise camp prisons ready for information of family members.

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Assad had tens of 1000’s of opponents tortured and ­executed in jails after civil conflict broke out in 2011.

Saydnaya, probably the most infamous, is the main focus for these in search of kin locked up throughout the federal government crackdown.

Extra proof of Assad’s brutality emerged when rebels present in a morgue the our bodies of 40 folks tortured to demise.

Regardless of the horrors, there was pleasure on the finish of Assad’s rule and lots of continued to have fun in Damascus.

Amongst them was Jordanian Osama al-Bataynah, 56, who was having fun with freedom after 38 years in jail.

Anas Idrees, 42, who had simply returned from Lebanon after years as a refugee, and marked his nation’s new-found freedom by visiting the well-known Bakdash ice-cream parlour.

He mentioned: “I swear to God, it tastes completely different. It was good earlier than however it’s modified as a result of now we’re glad inside.”

Turkey, residence to a few million Syrian refugees, has elevated the quantity that may return residence day by day from 3,000 to between 15,000 and 20,000.

Its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pledged to open a sixth crossing level alongside the international locations’ 560-mile border.

Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the insurgent group which toppled Assad, started to type a ­authorities with Mohammed al-Bashir appointed interim prime minister till March.

Syria’s new leaders promised to hint Assad officers accountable for torturing prisoners because the UN ramped up its investigation into his human rights abuses.

Canadian prosecutor Robert Petit, who heads the UN physique gathering conflict crime proof, mentioned: “There will probably be an enormous quantity of knowledge.”

His 82-strong staff has by no means been allowed into Syria however is now prone to head there to organize prosecutions for genocide, slavery and using chemical weapons.

He mentioned: “It’s the crime scene, so if we are able to have entry to the crime scene it’s a game-changer for us.”

HTS chief Abu Mohammed al-Jolani mentioned: “Rewards will probably be supplied to those that will present details about senior military and safety officers concerned in conflict crimes.”

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