Alawite women say they were kidnapped and sexually abused amid post‑Assad unrest

Summary

Dozens of women, mostly from Syria’s Alawite community in Latakia province, have told the BBC they were abducted, beaten and sexually assaulted after the fall of Bashar al‑Assad’s regime in December 2024. The Syrian Feminist Lobby has recorded reports of more than 80 women missing and confirmed 26 kidnappings; Amnesty International has also documented credible cases. Survivors described armed men seizing them, holding them in secret locations, raping and threatening them — some were told they could be sold or forced into marriage — in the wake of sectarian violence in March that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly Alawites.

Families and victims say the interim government’s security services have largely failed to provide meaningful investigations. The interior ministry said it reviewed 42 reported cases and found all but one to be false, while an anonymous security source told the BBC some kidnappings did occur, including actions by undisciplined security personnel who were later dismissed. Campaigners warn a climate of impunity, fear of retribution and social stigma is deterring survivors from seeking justice; the Syrian Feminist Lobby says 16 women remain missing. as reported by BBC