Fears are escalating among Syria's Alawite minority following a reported increase in abductions of women and girls in the country's northwest since Bashar al-Assad’s removal from power in late 2024. While activists and international organizations cite evidence of widespread kidnappings, often involving violence and ransom, the Syrian government denies systematic targeting and claims such incidents are rare.
An investigation based on interviews with dozens of alleged abductees, their relatives, and aid workers uncovered a pattern of disappearances. One case involved a 16-year-old girl who vanished last May from her home. Weeks later, her family received a ransom demand for thousands of dollars. After payment, she returned in August, more than 100 days after her disappearance, reportedly held in a basement where she was drugged and raped. A medical examination confirmed she was pregnant. Another 24-year-old woman described being held for three weeks in a filthy room, where she was subjected to rape, beatings, and physical mutilation before a $17,000 ransom payment secured her release.
These accounts are supported by various reports from rights groups. One investigation corroborated 13 kidnappings of Alawite women and girls, in addition to one man and one boy, with five victims reporting sexual assault and two returning pregnant. Amnesty International stated in July that it had credible reports of 36 similar kidnappings, documenting eight cases. A U.N. commission in August confirmed six cases and was investigating dozens more. The Syrian Feminist Lobby has tracked 80 disappearances of Alawite women and girls since early 2025, confirming 26 as kidnappings, with 10 having returned, three still missing, and the status of 13 unclear.
Victims and activists suggest the abductions are driven by sectarian retribution. They describe captors, identified as armed individuals, sometimes fellow Syrians or foreign jihadists, who reportedly inquire about the victims' Alawite identity and express derogatory views on the sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam. Alawites largely supported the ousted al-Assad regime, leading many Sunni Muslim former rebels, who now form the government, to associate the community with the previous government. This deep distrust, exacerbated by deadly sectarian violence in March last year, has left many Alawites feeling vulnerable.
The Syrian Interior Ministry, however, disputes claims of widespread targeting, stating that only one such kidnapping has been officially confirmed. Ministry spokesman Nour al-Din Baba indicated that a November government inquiry into 42 reported disappearances found only one "real" abduction. He suggested that other cases involved women engaged in prostitution, running away with partners, or fleeing domestic problems, with families fabricating kidnapping claims to avoid social stigma. Baba also questioned the veracity of ransom messages and asserted that pregnancies alone do not prove abduction.
Families of victims report that security forces often dismissed their cases, at times accusing missing women of drug use or eloping without evidence, or instructing returned victims to misrepresent their experiences. Many survivors suffer from profound trauma, affecting their education, careers, and personal lives, with some choosing to leave Syria out of fear. The 16-year-old victim, for instance, gave birth to a healthy baby girl in February, opting to keep the child despite Syria's strict abortion laws.