DAMASCUS – A series of targeted abductions and disappearances of Alawite women and girls has emerged as a critical human rights challenge in the months following the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad administration. International monitors and humanitarian agencies are sounding the alarm over a "climate of impunity" that continues to threaten religious minorities across the country.
A Pattern of Disappearances
Since early 2025, United Nations experts and organizations such as Amnesty International have documented approximately 38 cases of Alawite women and girls being seized in broad daylight. Reports indicate that victims, some as young as three years old, were taken while commuting to school, visiting relatives, or from within their homes in the traditional Alawite strongholds of Latakia, Tartous, Hama, and Homs.
While many fates remain unknown, a few harrowing accounts of returns have surfaced:
The Safita Ransom Crisis: The case of 29-year-old Abeer Suleiman remains a focal point of international concern. Despite her family paying a $15,000 ransom to captors via Turkish bank accounts in May 2025, contact was severed, and her whereabouts remain unconfirmed.
Negotiated Releases: In June 2025, two sisters—one of whom is a minor—were released after being held underground for two months. Their captors reportedly subjected them to sectarian abuse, citing their religious background as justification for the abduction.
Ransom and Trauma: In rural Hama, 35-year-old Khozama Nayef was returned to her family following a $1,500 payment. Reports indicate she suffered a severe mental breakdown during her 15-day ordeal.
Government Investigations and Contradictions
The Syrian interim government, led by Ahmad al-Sharaa, has faced intense scrutiny regarding its handling of the crisis. In November 2025, the Interior Ministry concluded a probe into 42 reported cases, but the findings sharply contradicted data from international NGOs.
The government committee confirmed only one genuine kidnapping, asserting that the victim was safely rescued by security forces. The ministry classified the remaining 41 cases as voluntary absences, elopements, or fabrications. Human rights advocates have challenged these findings, accusing the interim authorities of downplaying sectarian violence to maintain a veneer of stability.
The Search for Accountability
As of February 2026, no specific militant groups or political factions have been formally charged with these abductions. UN experts have warned that the failure to establish female-led investigative units or safe reporting channels has left victims and their families in a state of "perpetual fear."
With dozens of women still unaccounted for, the international community continues to pressure the interim government to provide transparent updates on the status of the missing.
