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Warning: This report contains accounts of sexual assault and violence that may distress readers.
Teenager abducted on way to family picnic
Ramia, a teenager from Latakia province in western Syria, was preparing for a family outing last summer when a white car pulled up near her home. Three armed men claiming to be government security forces forced her into the vehicle, she told the BBC World Service. Her account is one of dozens of reported kidnappings of Alawite women since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in December 2024.
Pattern of sectarian abductions emerges
The Syrian Feminist Lobby (SFL), a women's rights advocacy group, has documented over 80 reports of missing women, confirming 26 as kidnappings. Nearly all victims belong to the Alawite sect, a Shia offshoot comprising about 10% of Syria's population and historically linked to the former president. The abductions span from February 2025 to early December, coinciding with a surge in sectarian violence in March that killed over 1,400 people, mostly Alawite civilians.
Survivors describe torture and threats
Ramia recounted being beaten and interrogated about her sect. When she identified as Alawite, her captors insulted the group. Held for two days in an underground room, she was forced to wear a niqab and photographed. A woman in the building, allegedly the captor's wife, told her the images would determine her "price for sale." The BBC could not verify claims of trafficking, though activists report threats of forced marriage or sale.
Nesma, a mother in her 30s, was abducted from her Latakia village and held for seven days in an industrial facility. Masked men raped her repeatedly, calling Alawite women sabaya-an archaic term for female captives used by extremists. "All I could think about was death," she said. Another teenager, Leen, endured daily sexual assault and beatings, her mother told the BBC. Her captor, who spoke poor Arabic, boasted about killing Alawites during March's violence.
Authorities accused of inaction
Families say the interim government's General Security Service failed to investigate. Nesma reported being mocked by officers, while Ramia said officials stopped responding after identifying her captor. Ali, whose wife Noor was kidnapped, said the arrested suspect might be released. "We don't know what happened next," he said.
In November, Syria's interior ministry dismissed 41 of 42 reported kidnappings as "false," citing elopement, domestic violence, or prostitution. A security source later admitted some cases involved dismissed officers acting for "revenge" or extortion. Amnesty International documented eight cases, noting families received "no meaningful updates."
"Survivors' accounts reveal an ideological motive: violating the defeated side to spread fear among Alawite women,"
Yamen Hussein, Syrian human rights activist
Fear and stigma silence victims
Of the 80 missing women reported to the SFL, 16-all Alawite-remain unaccounted for. A few Druze and Sunni victims were released. Survivors face retribution and social stigma. Leen lives in constant fear of knocks at the door, while Nesma's marriage collapsed. Ramia, now in therapy, still struggles to sleep. "We should not deny what happened," said Somaya, whose daughter was assaulted for 10 days, "but we must not expose ourselves to danger."
