For more than 13 years, Syrian citizen Mohammad Zakour lived just metres from his family without revealing that he was still alive. His extraordinary story began after repeated arrests during the rule of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
Zakour was arrested twice by Syrian security agencies during the early years of the Syrian revolution. After his release, a relative warned him that another arrest could follow. Fearing a third detention, he decided that disappearing was his only way to stay safe.
Mohammad Zakour Built a Hiding Place Behind a Wall
Zakour chose his grandfather’s house in Latakia as his hiding place. With help from his wife, he secretly obtained construction materials and built a small wall inside the house.
A narrow space behind the wall became Zakour’s shelter. From there, he remained hidden while his family continued their lives nearby.
Only his wife knew that Zakour was still alive. She secretly brought him food, water, clothes and medicines through a small opening in the wall.
When Zakour became ill, his wife consulted a doctor and obtained the medicines he needed. Despite the difficult circumstances, the couple managed to keep his existence secret for years.
His Children Believed Their Father Had Died
The secrecy extended even to Zakour’s children. The couple feared that the children could accidentally reveal their father’s location.
As the years passed, the children grew up believing that their father had died. Zakour’s brother, who lived in Turkiye, even held a condolence gathering for him.
Yet Zakour was still alive inside the same family home. He could hear his children and watch them grow, but he remained unable to step outside or reveal himself.
His life continued in isolation while his family believed they had already lost him.
Assad’s Fall Finally Ended His 13-Year Hiding
Zakour’s extraordinary ordeal came to an end on December 8, 2024. At dawn, he heard people chanting outside the house.
He asked his wife what had happened. She told him that Bashar al-Assad’s government had fallen.
The news changed everything for Zakour. After spending more than 13 years behind the wall, he realised that he no longer needed to remain hidden.
His wife then asked the children to move a refrigerator that stood in front of the opening. She finally told them that their father was alive.
Children See Their Father After More Than a Decade
At first, the children struggled to believe what their mother had told them. For years, they had accepted that their father was dead.
Then, moments later, they watched him emerge from his hiding place. The man they believed they had lost was suddenly standing before them after more than a decade.
Zakour had spent years only a few metres away from his family. However, fear had forced him to remain behind a wall until the political circumstances that drove him into hiding had changed.
For the latest updates, visit and follow The Truth International website (www.thetruthinternational.com) and subscribe to the YouTube Channel.
