Amnesty urges investigation into missing women in Syria’s coastal region

In a statement issued today, Amnesty urged the Syrian transitional government to launch transparent and serious investigations into the cases of missing women in the coastal region and to reveal their fate after months of unexplained disappearances.

The organization stated it had documented cases of abduction and enforced disappearance affecting women and girls from the Alawite community in the governorates of Tartus, Latakia, Homs, and Hama since last February, amid the absence of any tangible progress in official investigations.

Amnesty detailed 8 cases and reviewed reports of dozens of others, including minors who were abducted in broad daylight. Some families received ransom demands, while others feared their daughters may have been subjected to forced marriage or abuse.

The statement noted that victims’ families had filed reports with the police but received no official responses or information. Some faced mistreatment or blame, and one family reported a phone number used to demand ransom, but no results followed.

Amnesty International called on the Syrian authorities to provide official clarifications to the families, prosecute those responsible for these crimes, and take immediate measures to ensure the protection of women from abduction and abuse, emphasizing that the absence of an official response contradicts the government's commitments to building a state governed by the rule of law.

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ANHA