The report released on November 2, 2025, by the investigative committee formed by the Ministry of Interior to examine the crimes of abduction targeting women, indicates that the Interim Government is not serious about the security of Syrian women in particular, nor the broader issue of transitional security. The report not only denies women’s suffering but also turns them and their families into suspects. It is degrading and shocking, enabling moral defamation against women and violating their dignity, while humiliating large segments of local communities. Moreover, it ignores all human rights and international reports addressed to the Interim Government on this issue.
Special Rapporteurs of the United Nations had sent formal communications to the Interim Government concerning the abduction of women from religious minorities in July and August 2025. In their officially published letters, they emphasized the necessity of protecting women from the prolonged impacts of abduction on their communities, ensuring accountability, and providing a gender-sensitive environment for victims and their families.
Furthermore, Amnesty International reported in July 2025 that it had received credible reports concerning 36 cases of abduction of girls and women aged between 3 and 40 years, who were kidnapped in broad daylight in Latakia, Tartous, Homs, and Hama by unidentified perpetrators. Amnesty International documented the abduction of five women and three girls from the Alawite community.
According to its August 2025 report, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic documented the abduction of six Alawite women by unknown parties during the spring, with credible reports of additional cases. The Commission also noted dozens of other documented cases up to the time of writing its report. It observed that sectarian language was used by armed factions against the abducted women following the coastal massacres, and referred to a case where an Alawite woman was sold, among those investigated. The Commission confirmed that some victims’ families were subjected to threats and intimidation for demanding accountability, while others were beaten during interrogations and forced to make public statements.
The abduction of women is a crime of a distinct nature that requires accurate, professional investigative standards that respect the victims’ sensitive considerations and the specific nature of the violation. Such standards necessitate the establishment of an independent and impartial investigative committee composed of members with proven expertise in investigating abductions and sexual violence against women, with at least half of the members being women. The committee should also be granted powers ensuring full confidentiality and the protection of victims, while providing them with the necessary medical, psychological, and legal support.
However, the committee established by the Ministry of Interior fails to meet the conditions of independence and competence. It is composed entirely of Ministry employees, without mentioning any female participation among its members, nor providing any evidence that its members possess specialized expertise in this type of crime or that they have offered guarantees of protection to victims and their families. Additionally, the Ministry did not disclose mechanisms for communicating with the committee, its investigative methodology, or the standards upon which it based its conclusions—rendering those conclusions professionally invalid and unreliable.
Disregarding established standards for investigating sexual violence and abduction inevitably leads to results far removed from the truth. These standards are not procedural formalities; they play a fundamental role in ensuring justice and uncovering the truth. Instead of reassuring the public and victims, the Ministry’s investigation risks sending a message of impunity to perpetrators, implying that they are above accountability.
Revealing the truth is a fundamental right for victims and their families, and the Syrian government bears full responsibility in this regard.
Preceding and following the committee’s report, several incitement campaigns and numerous interviews were broadcast on both official and unofficial Syrian media outlets. These targeted and accused reputable human rights organizations—well known for their struggle against the Assad regime and for documenting such violations and crimes—of waging political campaigns against the Interim Government. This indicates the government’s unwillingness to take local human rights efforts seriously and contributes to the shrinking of civic space, as well as to the harassment of human rights defenders through accusations that fuel hate speech.
We believe the survivors. We call for justice. We stand firmly against any attempts at media manipulation or distortion of facts, and against any suspicious efforts to influence public opinion.
We hold the Syrian Interim Government to be fully legally responsible for ensuring the safety of the abducted women, the returnees, and their families, for protecting all women, apprehending and prosecuting the perpetrators, ending impunity, and preventing the recurrence of such crimes.
We urge all local and international human rights organizations, as well as individuals, to take an active role in uncovering the truth and calling for an urgent international independent investigation to ensure justice for the abducted and the survivors, and to uphold their right to accountability.
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Signatories
The Syrian Feminist Lobby – Where Are They? Campaign
Stop The Abduction of Syrian Women Campaign
Dawlaty
Women Now for Development
Women Now for Development – Lebanon
