A year after fall of Assad, a divided Syria struggles to escape cycle of violence

While country's return to global stage has filled many Syrians with pride, domestically old grievances threaten efforts to rebuild the state

• Anniversary of the fall of house of Assad in Syria - in pictures

Lying in bed recovering after his latest surgery, Ayman Ali retells the story of Syria's revolution through his wounds. His right eye, lost in an attack on a rebel observation post he was manning in 2012, is covered by yellow medical tape. Propped against the wall is a cane he uses to walk, after a rocket attack in 2014 left him with a limp.

For 14 years, Ali dreamed of freedom and of justice. A year after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, he has his freedom but not his justice. The man he was dreaming of holding accountable - a member of his extended family who was a part of an Assad militia - had already fled the country by the time Ali returned to his home in Damascus.