Alarming Reports of Missing and Abused Alawite Women Emerge from Syria
Grave concerns are mounting over an alarming trend of missing Alawite women and girls in Syria, with recent reports indicating a disturbing pattern of abductions, abuse, and potential trafficking in the turmoil following the fall of the Assad regime. This issue, largely affecting the coastal region and Alawite heartland, is drawing increased attention from international human rights organizations.
The Troubling Pattern:
Dozens Missing: Reports from various sources, including DW and Reuters, indicate that dozens of Alawite women and girls, ranging from teenagers to those in their late 30s, have disappeared between February and June 2025. These disappearances are concentrated in governorates with significant Alawite populations, such as Tartous, Latakia, and Hama.
Abductions and Ransom Demands: Families of the missing have come forward, detailing instances where their relatives were seemingly kidnapped. Some families have received ransom demands ranging from $1,500 to $100,000, with some abductees making brief, desperate calls from unknown locations, often with foreign accents in the background, hinting at potential trafficking out of the country.
Accounts of Abuse: Survivors who have managed to escape or return have recounted horrific experiences. One woman, identified as "Nora" (real name withheld for security), described being held in a basement for approximately a month, where she endured physical and psychological brutalization. She also recalled being called derogatory names like "pig" and "infidel," suggesting a sectarian motivation behind the abductions.
Suspected Motives: The motives behind these suspected abductions appear to be complex, encompassing both political and criminal aims. Some analysts suggest these acts are a form of collective punishment or revenge against the Alawite community, given their historical association with the former Assad regime. Others point to the involvement of criminal gangs, potentially engaging in forced marriages or trafficking for financial gain. There are even suggestions on Syrian social media that these women are being sold in "slave markets," drawing parallels to the horrifying treatment of Yazidi women by ISIS.
Limited Returns: While some women have reportedly returned home, they and their families often decline to comment on the circumstances, citing severe security fears. In some instances, returning women were allegedly pressured by security forces or media to publicly deny that they had been abducted, further complicating investigations.
The Aftermath of Assad's Fall:
The increased disappearances and violence against Alawites appear to have intensified following the collapse of the Assad government in December 2024 and the brutal backlash against Alawite civilians, including mass killings by armed groups aligned with the new Sunni-led interim government.
Massacres against Alawite communities were reported as early as March 2025, with figures indicating hundreds of civilians killed in the coastal areas. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) has also noted a shift from mass executions to individual acts of violence and abductions targeting Alawites.
Response and Challenges:
Government Indifference/Complicity Concerns: Families of the missing have expressed frustration, complaining that cases of missing women have been handled with "indifference or a lack of urgency" by the new Syrian government. Some human rights groups, like the Next Century Foundation, have even suggested an "unwillingness of the Al-Sharaa government to help these women and its seeming complicity."
Investigation Committee: Syria's interim president, Ahmad al-Sharaa, did create a committee to investigate the violence, including the killings targeting Alawite civilians. However, as of early July 2025, this committee has reportedly produced no public results, and the Syrian Ministry of the Interior has not responded to inquiries on the subject.
Human Rights Appeals: International bodies and human rights organizations are increasingly vocal. The UN Human Rights Council's commission "documented abductions by unknown individuals of at least six Alawi women this spring" and received "credible reports of more abductions." Amnesty International has urged President al-Sharaa to publish the full findings of the investigation into the mass killings and ensure accountability.
Activist Documentation: Syrian activists, such as Bassel Younus, living abroad, are independently documenting these cases, with Younus having recorded around 40 missing women.
"No Systematic Enslavement Yet," But Rising Sectarianism: While some experts, like Bassam Alahmad of Syrians for Truth and Justice, state that there's no evidence yet of "systematic enslavement" akin to the Yazidi experience, they acknowledge that religious affiliation is increasingly playing a role in kidnappings and murders, and that Alawite women are now being targeted specifically because of their religion.
This unfolding crisis underscores the extreme vulnerability of minority communities in post-Assad Syria and the urgent need for a comprehensive and transparent response from the authorities to ensure the safety and rights of all citizens.
