Amnesty Worldwide on Monday known as on Syria to research the abductions and kidnappings of Alawite girls and ladies to stop gender-based violence and convey perpetrators to justice.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty Worldwide’s secretary basic, known as on the Syrian authorities to “act swiftly and transparently in finding lacking girls and ladies, bringing perpetrators to justice, and offering affected households with well timed, gender-sensitive and credible data and help.”
Amnesty Worldwide reported that round 36 Alawite girls and ladies have been kidnapped in Latakia, Tartous, Homs, and Hama since February 2025. In a few of these circumstances, the ladies have been kidnapped “in broad daylight,” and some have been underage ladies. By way of interviews, Amnesty Worldwide discovered that many ladies and ladies from the Alawite neighborhood, in addition to others within the affected governorates, have been frightened, which has brought about them to be very cautious when leaving their houses for varsity, college, or work. Amnesty Worldwide argued that the Syrian authorities have didn’t adequately examine these abductions.
Kidnapped girls and ladies have reached out to their households to ask for divorces from their husbands. Amnesty Worldwide asserted that “they have been subjected to compelled marriage or coerced to request a divorce.” Kidnapped girls have additionally been kidnapped for ransom and married off, even the place the households have been in a position to pay.
Amnesty Worldwide highlighted that compelled marriage locations “the lady or woman liable to a spread of additional abuse, together with further types of sexual violence, different types of bodily abuse, and different mistreatment.” The UN Basic Meeting has acknowledged that youngster, early, and compelled marriage is a human rights violation. The UN excessive commissioner for human rights has additionally highlighted that worldwide regulation requires spouses to enter a wedding with full and free consent.
Moreover, the Worldwide Felony Court docket (ICC) has illuminated that compelled marriage can quantity to against the law in opposition to humanity beneath Article 7(1)(ok) of the Rome Statute. Within the Ongwen case, marriages have been compelled upon women and girls by the Lord’s Resistance Military throughout the Ugandan civil battle. The ICC acknowledged that compelled marriage is a type of gender-based violence. Its coercive nature violates a person’s proper to decide on a partner and begin a household.
Callamard emphasised that the Syrian authorities are legally obliged to place a cease to gender-based violence, urging quick and efficient investigations into the kidnappings.
