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In 2025, the Syrian Feminist Lobby documented 82 abduction cases across the Syrian coast, western Hama countryside, and Homs.
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Of the 82 abduction cases documented in 2025, 10% involved girls and 90% involved women aged 15 to 40.
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Around 60% of women abducted during sectarian attacks in the western Hama countryside and Homs in 2025 had not been returned as of the report's publication.
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The Syrian Feminist Lobby published a report titled 'Abduction of Syrian Women: A War on Dignity'.
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The report states that violence against women from minority communities, particularly Druze and Alawite women, was enabled by the collapse of state institutions, weakening of the rule of law, and a culture of impunity.
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The organization stated that many freed women were subjected to extortion and violence during captivity.
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The report cites a March report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stating that authorities failed to respond effectively to complaints.
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Police reports regarding abductions were filed but not followed up on, and in some cases, officials discouraged families from pursuing legal action.
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Ransom demands were made in a minority of cases but were rarely accompanied by proof of life or location details.
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In one case, a family paid a ransom but the woman was not returned.
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Families reported receiving messages telling them to forget their missing daughters.
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Families reported receiving calls from local and international numbers warning that continued searching would result in the women being returned dead.
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In more than one case, husbands were sent divorce papers believed to have been issued under coercion.
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At least one underage girl was forced into marriage.
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Based on verified cases, 190 women and girls disappeared after the July attacks on the Druze community in Sweida.
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Some of the 190 women and girls who disappeared after the July attacks in Sweida were later located after communications were restored, while others remain missing.
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The Syrian Feminist Lobby stated that many abducted women were released through mediation or exchange deals.
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In some cases, deaths were confirmed during release processes, though circumstances remain unclear.
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The report states that women were used as leverage against local communities for political purposes.
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The report assesses that the targeting was preceded by waves of sectarian incitement and hate speech in the media and on social networks.
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The report documents cases in which women were stripped before being killed, and in some instances their bodies were mutilated or burned during extrajudicial killings in Sweida.
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Photographs of bodies from extrajudicial killings in Sweida were circulated online.
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The report cites the rape of a young girl in front of her mother.
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The report cites the abduction of children as young as 11 months.
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The report states that the youngest hostage still in captivity is 15.
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The report states that survivors face severe psychological, social, and economic consequences.
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The report warns that limited access to witness protection and justice deepens vulnerability.
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Many women in Homs described confining themselves to their homes due to fear of being taken in public.
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Some women in Homs described withdrawing from education out of fear of further violence.
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Women who escaped or were released described being drugged, held in dark rooms, and moved between locations.
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One survivor said masked armed men forced abducted women to wear black niqabs covering their entire bodies before leaving them at the abduction site and threatening them not to speak.
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The Syrian Feminist Lobby noted that the threat shows how violence extends beyond detention and that fear is used to enforce silence and maintain control over survivors and their families.
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Some women reported witnessing money exchanged for transfers, which the lobby says indicates links to human trafficking.
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Some survivors described hearing multiple dialects and foreign-accented Arabic.
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One survivor said she was subjected to sexual violence and held in solitary confinement for a week.
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One survivor said captors forced her to record a video claiming she had left voluntarily with a lover.
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One survivor said a man referred to as 'the sheikh' supervised the recording and pressured her into accepting divorce and marriage to her abductor in exchange for release.
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The report states that the pattern reflects the use of coercion to produce forced narratives that deny the violation and turn the survivor into an instrument for concealing the crime rather than documenting it.
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The case resembles one referenced in the UN report and alleges police treated the survivor as a criminal and issued a religious ruling against her before release.
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The lobby claims the survivor's access to legal support was obstructed and her abductor obtained security information about her, indicating a link to official agencies.
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In Syria, adultery is a criminal offense with penalties ranging from three months to two years, depending on jurisdiction.
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Islamist authorities have previously executed women accused of extramarital relations.
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The report describes strong religious framing in many cases.
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Abductors reportedly called themselves a 'lifeline' while threatening the killing of 'infidel Nusayris'.
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Victims were allegedly forced to convert, marry captors, and adopt religious practices, including the niqab and rituals.
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Multiple survivors described being transported through checkpoints where security personnel appeared to interact with abductors familiarly.
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Several women reported seeing abductors in military-style clothing resembling General Security uniforms or armed groups with red headbands.
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The report suggests the presence of abductors in military-style clothing indicates possible involvement of auxiliary forces or affiliated actors.
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The report cites official responses in which families were told their daughters were 'immoral,' had 'left voluntarily,' or could not be controlled.
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The lobby said such official statements undermine trust in justice institutions and limit access to remedies.
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In one case, a survivor was held for more than five hours without medical or psychological care by General Security, while her father was detained for several hours before seeing her.
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Other survivors were forced to give statements inside security facilities in the presence of individuals allegedly linked to their abductors.
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Survivors were threatened with solitary confinement if they refused to give statements inside security facilities.
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Some testimonies were later broadcast publicly.
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One survivor said, 'I lost trust in people. For many years, I was very enthusiastic. When we went down to demonstrations or gatherings, we felt a sense of belonging to Syrians and to Syria. Today I do not have that feeling.'
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