Behind the Sun

In Behind the Sun, Nadia, a young Syrian woman in the diaspora, struggles to come to terms with what the world knows about what’s happening in her country. She speaks with Riyad - her father's friend - whom she had first met in the strangest of circumstances. Riyad tells Nadia more about his extraordinary story and what happens to those who, like him, have disappeared 'behind the sun' in Syria. Behind the Sun is a narrative journey, as we follow the path of an enduring friendship forged in the darkest of circumstances—a story of two men who survived against the odds and are fighting for all those left behind. We follow Riyad and Diab through their experience in one of Syria's most notorious detention camps — Sednaya. In this six-part series, we also hear from others who are still living the ongoing horrors that more than 100,000 detainees in Syria and their families continue to face. Behind the Sun is co-produced by Message Heard and The Syria Campaign, in collaboration with the Association of Detainees and the Missing (ADMSP) and the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability (SJAC) under its project On the Margins No More.

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Episodes

Introducing: Finding Andy

In 2019, Loti Nambombe was on the brink of taking his own life. He was standing on the edge of Manchester's M60, ready to jump, when a passerby stopped and talked him down. The night was a blur for Loti, and in the years that follow he tells people about the stranger who saved his life. Now, five years later, he wants to find him. But all he's got is a name...Andy. In Finding Andy, host and journalist Jake Warren wants to reunite Loti with the man who saved him, and gain closure for both of them...

Nov 29, 2024•6 min

Episode 6: From Behind the Sun

After receiving an unexpected visit, Riyad is finally free and wants his life back after being imprisoned for 21 years. We learn more about Riyad and Diab's joint work to fight for those still trapped behind the sun and to support survivors and families of the missing, as they continue to search for their friend Abu Hassan, whose wife - like many other Syrian families - is uncertain of what happened to her loved one. Behind the Sun is co-produced by Message Heard and The Syria Campaign, in colla...

May 17, 2022•37 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Episode 5: The Search

Diab returns to Syria to be part of the revolution and witness a dream come true but is faced with what he fears the most. Another tragedy hits Ghufran's family, but a defected officer named Caesar has offered families some answers. We also hear the heartbreaking story of Noor, an expectant mother, who realises that not taking part in the revolution doesn’t mean that she’s safe. Behind the Sun is co-produced by Message Heard and The Syria Campaign, in collaboration with the Association of Detain...

May 10, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Episode 4: Erebus

Still in detention, Riyad needs surgery but has no family in Syria to help him. Diab, now free, ignores his family's pleas and participates in the revolution. The regime's Intelligence takes Abu Emad, a former army engineer, along with Majd and Abed (Ghufran's brothers) to the same place, Sednaya. With increasing executions and disappeared persons ending up in Sednaya, the detention camp's reputation as a dark abyss continues to grow. Behind the Sun is co-produced by Message Heard and The Syria ...

May 03, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Episode 3: Icarus

During the revolution, Syrians rise and fill the streets calling for freedom and dignity, while the Assad regime used detention and torture as tools, including Sednaya, to crush the peaceful uprising. Nadia explores how the 2011 revolution changed Riyad and Diab's living conditions inside Sednaya. We hear from Ghufran, who tells us about her family’s activism, who see promise in the uprising but will face the heavy hand of Assad’s regime. Behind the Sun is co-produced by Message Heard and The Sy...

Apr 26, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Episode 2: The Playbook

Diab & Riyad tell the story of their experience during the ten-month-long riot and rebellion inside Sednaya military prison in 2008. Nadia explains how the regime’s brutal response during the upheaval reveals the tactics used by Assad's regime to crush any form of dissent. Behind the Sun is co-produced by Message Heard and The Syria Campaign, in collaboration with the Association of Detainees and the Missing (ADMSP) and the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability (SJAC) under its projec...

Apr 19, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Episode 1: Unsafe Haven

Nadia and Riyad explore the true meaning of "safety and justice" in Syria. He tells her the story of his disappearance in Syria for 21 years and how he formed a close friendship with Diab between the walls of the infamous prison Sednaya. Behind the Sun is co-produced by Message Heard and The Syria Campaign, in collaboration with the Association of Detainees and the Missing (ADMSP) and the Syrian Center for Justice and Accountability (SJAC) under its project On the Margins No More. Learn more abo...

Apr 19, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Trailer

Nadia, a young Syrian woman in the diaspora, struggles to come to terms with what the world knows about what’s happening in her country. She speaks with Riyad - her father's friend - whom she had first met in the strangest of circumstances. Riyad tells Nadia more about his extraordinary story and what happens to those who, like him, have disappeared 'behind the sun' in Syria. In this six-part series, we will hear from others who are still living the ongoing horrors that more than 100,000 detaine...

Apr 10, 2022•2 min

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