Syria | Reports Emerge of R*pe & Coercion Against Abducted Alawite Woman as Fear Silences Survivors
Local sources confirm that one of the Alawite women abducted in recent months has been released in a severely deteriorated psychological and physical condition. The woman, whose name is being withheld at the request of her family, returned home following her release by captors affiliated with terrorist factions operating in northern Syria.
According to journalist and secular opposition figure George Barsheni, the victim was subjected to repeated rape and beatings by at least 12 individuals, all of whom were identified as Syrians based on their dialect. The woman was only released after her family paid a substantial ransom. She was also threatened with death should she speak publicly about what had happened to her.
Her family has declined to provide formal testimony, citing the victim’s trauma and the explicit death threats made by the kidnappers. "We respect her decision and safety," Barsheni stated. "She will not be named, and we will not share any identifying details without her consent."
In another incident, the husband of another abducted woman, Bushra, sought information about his wife from the same group. According to Barsheni, the captors mockingly told him to forget his wife and remarry. The psychological abuse reportedly escalated when the woman, under duress, was forced to call her husband and request a divorce. This led to his departure to Lebanon, emotionally devastated.
“This sequence of humiliation, from captivity to coercion is a tragedy that must not be silenced,” Barsheni wrote. “It demands urgent attention and accountability from international human rights bodies.”
Activists are calling for global organizations to investigate these cases and offer support to survivors and their families, who continue to suffer under a campaign of fear, silence, and systematic abuse.
