Alawite Women Reveal Widespread Kidnappings and Rape After Assad’s Fall
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Mass Kidnappings Target Alawite Women Since Regime Collapse The Syrian Feminist Lobby recorded more than 80 missing women and confirmed 26 kidnappings, almost all belonging to the Alawite sect, which comprises roughly 10 % of Syria’s population [1]. Survivors such as Ramia and Nesma recounted severe beatings, forced veiling, confinement in underground rooms, and repeated rape [1]. Amnesty International received credible reports of at least 36 Alawite women kidnapped, detailing eight specific cases [1].
Security Forces Accused of Complicity and Dismissal The interim government’s General Security Service mocked victims, and the interior ministry’s spokesperson dismissed 41 of 42 reports as “elopements,” domestic‑violence escapes, or false claims [1]. A security source confirmed that certain General Security officers conducted temporary kidnappings for extortion or revenge, leading to their dismissal when uncovered [1]. Families continue to receive no meaningful updates and report ongoing threats despite official investigations [1].
Human‑Rights Groups Document Ongoing Trauma and Flight Human‑rights organisations note that 16 Alawite women remain missing and families live in constant fear [1]. Survivors suffer severe mental‑health trauma, including suicide attempts, and some have fled the country seeking safety [1]. The Syrian Feminist Lobby and Amnesty International call for transparent investigations, protection for victims, and accountability for security personnel involved [1].
Timeline
Mar 2023 – An Israeli‑Russian PhD student is seized by two men on a Baghdad street while conducting fieldwork, taken to the outskirts of the capital and begins a 903‑day captivity marked by starvation, electrocution, whipping and sexual abuse. [2]
2025 – After the collapse of Bashar al‑Assad’s regime, Alawite women experience a wave of abductions; the Syrian Feminist Lobby records over 80 missing women and confirms 26 kidnappings, while Amnesty International receives credible reports of at least 36 cases. [1]
Sep 9, 2025 – U.S. special envoy Mark Savaya negotiates with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani, securing the release of the Israeli‑Russian captive, who is flown to Israel for therapy and announces plans to finish her PhD at Princeton while criticizing Israeli policy toward Palestinians. [2]
Jan 19, 2026 – SDF troops pull out of Al‑Shaddadi prison; the SDF claims 1,500 ISIS prisoners escape, whereas Syrian government sources report only 120 escapes, heightening fears of an ISIS resurgence as the U.S. prepares to transfer roughly 7,000 detainees to Iraq. [3]
Jan 26, 2026 – Journalists visit the Al‑Roj detention camp, documenting over 2,000 women and children—many stateless after citizenship revocation—who repeatedly demand repatriation but face refusals from countries such as Russia; U.S. envoy Tom Barrack posts that the SDF’s original anti‑ISIS mission has largely expired and urges integration into the Syrian state. [3]
Feb 18, 2026 – Alawite survivors recount brutal kidnappings—beatings, forced veiling, weeks of confinement and repeated rape—while a security source admits “undisciplined actions” by General Security Service officers led to temporary abductions for extortion or revenge; the interior ministry dismisses most reports as elopements, leaving families in fear and without justice. [1]
2026 (future) – The United States plans to relocate approximately 7,000 ISIS‑linked detainees from Syrian facilities to Iraqi prisons as part of a broader strategy to dissolve the SDF’s counter‑terrorism role and embed it within Damascus’s security architecture. [3]
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- https://x.com/USAMBTurkiye/status/2013635851570336016 (cited 1 times)