Syrian rights group says women from minority communities faced abduction, abuse and intimidation amid impunity and institutional collapse
A Syrian rights report has found that around 60 percent of women abducted during sectarian attacks last year in western Hama countryside and Homs have still not been returned, underscoring what activists describe as a deepening crisis of gender-based and sectarian violence in the country.
The report, titled Abduction of Syrian Women: A War on Dignity, was published last month by the Syrian Feminist Lobby. It said violence against women from minority communities, particularly Druze and Alawite women, had intensified in an environment marked by collapsing state institutions, weak law enforcement and widespread impunity.
According to the report, the organisation documented 82 abduction cases in 2025 across the Syrian coast, western Hama countryside and Homs. Around 10 percent of the victims were girls, while the remaining 90 percent were women between the ages of 15 and 40. At the time of publication, only 40 percent of those abducted had been released.
Families report threats, coercion and failed official response
The report said many women who were released had endured extortion, physical abuse and psychological trauma while in captivity. Families reported receiving threats telling them to stop searching for missing relatives, while some were warned their daughters would be returned dead if they continued pressing authorities.
In several cases, abducted women were allegedly forced to sign divorce papers, marry captors or record false statements claiming they had left voluntarily. Survivors also described being drugged, moved between locations, and held in dark rooms under armed guard.
Rights group warns of sectarian and gendered targeting
The Syrian Feminist Lobby said women were used as leverage against entire communities, particularly after waves of sectarian incitement and hate speech. It also documented cases involving sexual violence, forced religious conversion and the abduction of children.
The group accused authorities of failing to investigate properly and, in some cases, discouraging families from filing complaints. It warned that the lack of accountability has deepened fear, isolation and long-term trauma for survivors and their communities.
