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Painful Testimonies of Syrian Women Abducted on the Coast: A Tragic Reality and Ongoing Threat
Testimonies from Syrian women abducted in coastal Syria highlight tragic practices that violate women's rights. Rabab (a pseudonym for security reasons) was abducted in broad daylight, only to find herself in the same house as Basima (a pseudonym), where both women were subjected to beatings and humiliation under sectarian justifications, as they were both considered "Alawite." Rabab, who was taken from a public square in one of the coastal villages, was transported in a van that had not been stopped at any checkpoints, and then placed in a room with Basima, who had previously been a victim of kidnapping.
Rabab recalls the events, saying: "They tortured us and hit us. We weren't allowed to talk to each other, but I heard the accents of the abductors—one spoke with a foreign accent and the other with a local Idlib dialect. They insulted us because we are Alawites." This situation recalls past crimes, such as the enslavement of Yazidi women in Iraq, even though the current situation has not yet reached that level.
The pleas from the families of the abducted women continue, seeking to know the fate of their daughters, who disappeared in daylight, whether from cities along the coast or from the rural areas of Homs and Hama. In an investigation conducted by "Daraj," we followed ten cases of kidnapped girls, where the stories and experiences of the victims varied, surrounded by a profound fear felt by the families, as expressed by one father who said: "We hope to die."
The pleas coincided with a "military operation" launched by Syrian forces to "sweep" the coast for fighters loyal to the Assad regime, resulting in horrifying outcomes where hundreds were killed in retaliatory operations targeting Alawites.
The testimonies collected by the investigators indicate the existence of other women who are also abducted; they heard their voices but it was not easy to confirm, as the abducted women were bound hand and foot, and their restraints would only be loosened when entering the bathroom. Rabab’s abduction lasted no more than a few days, during which she heard the abductors discussing a potential raid that led to her being moved to another location. As for Basima, she was not released, and Rabab heard warnings against approaching her because "one of the abductors had fallen in love with her."
Rabab's case is not the only one; many social media users comment on girls who were kidnapped and later returned to their families amid a cloud of secrecy surrounding the details of the abduction. Basima remains one of the missing, but she contacted her family via phone, informing them that she was "fine" while warning them not to publish anything, indicating that she did not know her whereabouts.
The fear of social stigma or "shame" in a traditional environment, along with threats from the abductors, has led families into a dual silence, especially since the abductors issue explicit threats. Among the alarming stories is that of an 18-year-old girl who was abducted in broad daylight. Her family received a threatening message demanding their silence, threatening to send her back dead if they spoke out. In another case, a girl contacted her family from an unknown number to say she could barely "survive" and was planning to get married, which heightened her family's concern.
Despite the announcement of the conclusion of the "military operation" and the formation of a committee to investigate the facts, the killings continued, described by reports from "Human Rights Watch" and "Amnesty" as "atrocities" and "mass killings" without official disclosure of victim numbers. The areas where abductions are concentrated are experiencing increasing systematic activity, as families publish photos of the abducted women in hopes of gathering information about them.
Families continue their attempts to obtain information, but a state of terror prevails among them due to the threats from the abductors, which hinder investigative efforts. According to the testimonies, abductions are notably occurring in broad daylight.
