France 24: 50 Alawite women abducted in Tartus

The video report, published on France 24’s website, highlights a worrying increase in the number of Syrian women of Alawite origin being kidnapped in Tartus and its rural areas following the collapse of the Ba'athist regime.

The report notes that Syria is witnessing a wave of enforced disappearances and abductions targeting Alawite women, sparking concern among residents in the coastal regions, especially in light of recent events that have claimed the lives of many civilians.

It confirms that “fear has become a part of daily life for women, who refrain from leaving their homes out of fear of becoming the next victims.”

In one of the testimonies, the channel’s correspondent spoke with the family of a young woman who was abducted on her way from Safita to her workplace in Tartus. The report deliberately avoided showing the family's faces for fear of security repercussions.

The kidnapped woman's sister, who was later released, explained that her sister was unable to speak due to the trauma and that their family are “simple people with no political affiliations.”

She indicated that her sister was kidnapped after being asked about her sect by unknown armed men. Once they found out she was Alawite, they took her to an unknown location and held her in a house basement for two months before releasing her at night, abandoning her in the street while she was wearing a niqab. The victim did not report any sexual assault, but the report mentioned other cases where abductees were "drugged and mistreated," according to France 24.

In this context, one of the activists involved in the issue confirmed that the problem is real and worsening, stating that between two to three abduction cases are recorded daily in Tartus and its countryside.

She noted that the victims come from all age groups and social backgrounds, including married women, mothers, schoolgirls, and minors.

Human rights activist Farah Youssef described the incidents as “an extension of gender-based violence,” which was practiced by the previous regime. She added that the motives behind the current kidnappings vary between sectarian and financial.

Farah Youssef revealed that 50 cases of abduction involving Alawite girls and women have been documented, pointing out that security forces have taken no concrete action and that the identity of the perpetrators remains unknown.

She emphasized that the abductions have long-term effects on the women, who continue to live in constant fear in the absence of any protection guarantees or legal accountability.

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ANHA