Warning: This report contains accounts of sexual violence that may be distressing to some readers.
Reports of abductions and sexual violence against women from the Alawite minority have emerged in western Syria following the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
Several survivors and families have described kidnappings allegedly carried out by armed men claiming to be linked to security forces. Many of the reported cases occurred in and around Latakia province, a coastal region with a significant Alawite population.
One teenager, identified here as Ramia to protect her identity, said she was abducted near her village in Latakia by three armed men who forced her into a vehicle. She alleges she was beaten and held for two days in a locked room. According to her account, her captors insulted her religious affiliation and threatened to sell her. She said she attempted to escape and made suicide attempts during her captivity. She was later released under circumstances that remain unclear.
Another woman, Nesma, in her thirties, said she was detained for a week in what appeared to be an industrial building. She alleges she was interrogated about suspected links between residents of her village and the former regime and was subjected to repeated sexual assault. A third case involves a teenager, Leen, whose family says she was held and abused for several days.
The Syrian Feminist Lobby (SFL), a women’s rights advocacy group, reports having documented more than 80 cases of missing women since early 2025, confirming at least 26 as kidnappings. According to the group, the majority of those reported missing are Alawite women. Around 10% of Syria’s population belongs to the Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shia Islam historically associated with the former ruling elite.
The reported incidents span a period before and after sectarian violence in March 2025, when more than 1,400 people — mostly Alawite civilians — were killed in western coastal areas. Forces aligned with the interim Sunni Islamist-led authorities were accused by rights groups of retaliatory killings following attacks attributed to Assad loyalists.
Survivors and relatives interviewed say that the interim government’s General Security Service has failed to conduct thorough investigations. Some allege that officers dismissed their complaints or treated them with indifference. In November, the interior ministry stated it had reviewed 42 reported kidnappings and determined that all but one were unfounded, attributing the others to issues such as voluntary departures or criminal disputes. When approached for further comment, the ministry declined to expand on its position.
A security source in the coastal region acknowledged to the BBC that some kidnappings had occurred, including cases involving security personnel who were subsequently dismissed. However, the scale and motivations behind the abductions remain disputed.
In July, Amnesty International said it had received credible reports of at least 36 abductions of Alawite women and girls aged between three and 40, documenting eight cases in detail. The organization reported that families frequently received no substantive updates from authorities.
Human rights observers argue that the pattern of kidnappings reflects both sectarian tensions and a broader breakdown of accountability mechanisms. Some analysts describe a climate of impunity that may enable both ideologically motivated abuses and opportunistic crimes.
According to the Syrian Feminist Lobby, 16 Alawite women remain missing. While some Druze and Sunni women were reportedly abducted and later released, the overwhelming majority of unresolved cases involve members of the Alawite community.
For affected families, fear remains pervasive. Some say they have fled their homes after receiving threats. Others are reluctant to pursue legal action due to safety concerns or social stigma surrounding sexual violence. Survivors describe ongoing psychological trauma, including insomnia, anxiety and family breakdown.
Four years after the start of Syria’s latest phase of conflict, security and accountability remain fragile in several regions. For many minority communities in coastal areas, the sense of vulnerability persists amid continuing political uncertainty.
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