"Amnesty International" calls on the Syrian government to investigate the disappearance of women and girls from the coast

Amnesty International has called on the Syrian government to urgently investigate the issue of the disappearance of women and girls on the Syrian coast and to seek to uncover their unknown fate for several months.

The organization has documented cases of "abduction and enforced disappearance" affecting women and girls from the Alawite community in several Syrian provinces, including Tartous, Latakia, Homs, and Hama, since last February.

The organization, in a statement issued today, Monday, pointed to the lack of sufficient information about the fate of a number of missing persons and the absence of indications of tangible progress in official investigations.

According to the statement, the organization detailed eight cases, as well as reviewed reports of dozens of other cases, including minor girls who were abducted in broad daylight. Some families received demands for ransom, while others spoke of the possibility of the victims being subjected to forced marriage or mistreatment.

The statement confirmed that some families of the victims approached security and police centers to report the disappearance of their daughters, but did not receive any official response or updates regarding their fate, adding that some families faced negative treatment or were blamed for the abduction incidents.


According to the organization, one family reported the phone number from which a ransom call was received, but has not yet received any clear results from the security authorities.

These incidents have sparked an unprecedented wave of concern in the local community, especially in areas with a majority Alawite population, where there is a sense of fear and threat, and women refrain from going out alone to study, work, or even for their daily needs, according to the statement.

The organization emphasized the need for the Syrian authorities to deal seriously and transparently with these incidents by providing clear information to families, pursuing those involved, and ensuring the protection of women from all forms of violence and violation. It considered that the lack of an official response is inconsistent with the promises of building a rule of law state that the authorities had previously pledged.