Damascus, Syria – Amnesty International on Monday called on the Syrian government to launch urgent and impartial investigations into the abduction of at least 36 women and girls, mostly from the Alawite community, in recent months; warning of an alarming surge in gender-based violence across several provinces.
In a statement, the rights group said it had documented eight cases of abduction, including three minors, carried out in broad daylight between February and July 2025 in the provinces of Latakia, Tartous, Homs, and Hama. Families had filed official reports, but security forces allegedly failed to take effective action.
Amnesty’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard criticized the government’s response, stating, “The authorities in Syria have repeatedly promised to build a Syria for all Syrians, yet they are failing to stop abductions and kidnappings of women and girls.”
According to Amnesty’s documentation, some abductees were physically assaulted or forced into marriage, while two families reported ransom demands of up to $14,000, without their loved ones being released.
The wave of abductions has spread fear through communities in Syria’s coastal and central regions. Activists and local sources told Amnesty that many women have stopped leaving their homes, even in areas that have not yet seen direct incidents.
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This comes days after the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria reported six similar abductions of Alawite women, and the Syrian Feminist Lobby said it had received reports of 28 additional cases; 14 of whom remain missing.
Amnesty said it had raised the issue with Syria’s Minister of Interior in May and submitted detailed case files to the ministry on July 13. As of publication, no formal response had been received.
The organization also claims to possess audio and video evidence implicating abductors from Syria, Turkey, Iraq, and the UAE in several cases. Despite this, security investigations remain stalled, it said.
Callamard added reaffirming, “Accountability must be pursued, and reparation should be provided. A failure to do so is a human rights violation.”
