Amnesty International: 36 Alawite women abducted in Syria
Dozens of Alawite women and girls have been abducted across central and coastal Syria in recent months, Amnesty International said on Monday, warning of growing fear and impunity as authorities fail to respond.
The group documented eight cases since February across the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, Homs, and Hama. Although families reported the incidents to the authorities, police and security forces have largely failed to investigate. In two instances, officials placed blame on the families, while only two victims were eventually released safely.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty 's Secretary-General, described the kidnappings as 'deeply unsettling for the Alawite community,' highlighting that women and girls now fear leaving their homes unaccompanied.
She also urged Syrian authorities to step up efforts and prevent gender-based violence, further calling for swift, and impartial investigations into the abductions.
Despite the scale of the violence, Amnesty spokesperson Yasser Arwanhan emphasized that Syrian authorities maintain they have received no reports of abducted girls.
Tensions escalated in March, when sectarian violence erupted across Syria's coastal region, leaving approximately 1,700 people dead over three days—mostly Alawites—according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
A government committee later recorded 1,426 victims. However, the Syrian government maintained these incidents were isolated, rejecting claims they were systematic or sectarian.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
3 hours ago
- Shafaq News
US allocates $60M in food aid for Gaza
Shafaq News – Washington On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump outlined efforts to deliver food aid to Gaza, confirming that Washington had recently allocated $60 million to support the enclave's population. 'Gaza residents are not receiving sufficient nourishment. We are trying to feed the people,' Trump stated, underscoring the urgency of the situation amid persistent shortages and logistical obstacles. He noted that Israel plays a central role in facilitating deliveries, further suggesting that Arab countries could also contribute to the process. The remarks come as humanitarian conditions continue to worsen. According to the Health Ministry, eight people — including one child — died from starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of famine -related deaths to 188. Half of the victims were minors. The ministry also updated the overall casualty figures from Israel's military campaign, which began on October 7, 2023, to 61,020 killed and 150,671 injured.
Shafaq News
6 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Baghdad denies Taji drone strike
Shafaq News – Baghdad On Tuesday, Baghdad Operations Command rejected claims of a drone strike and fire at a Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) site in Taji, north of the capital. In a statement, the command urged media outlets to verify information through official channels before publication. The denial comes amid renewed scrutiny of the PMF—a state-sponsored but largely pro-Iran network of paramilitary groups—whose presence near Iraqi bases housing US and coalition forces has reportedly been a source of tension. A senior security official also clarified to Shafaq News that no PMF-affiliated sites are located within the Taji base and that no military facility in the area had been targeted.
Shafaq News
6 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Speaker nullifies Iraq parliament session over procedural breach
Shafaq News – Baghdad Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani declared Tuesday's legislative session 'invalid,' asserting that it was held without his authorization and in breach of parliamentary rules. In an official letter addressed to his first and second deputies, members of parliament, and all relevant bodies, al-Mashhadani cited Article 34/2 of Parliament's internal regulations, which grants him exclusive authority to open and chair sittings, pointing out that no parliamentary session can be held in his absence unless he formally delegates authority or is officially unable to perform his duties. Iraq's Parliament held a heated meeting on July 5 that ended in chaos after a dispute erupted between the Speaker, his deputies, and several lawmakers, forcing the session to be adjourned until further notice. The dispute soon drew in MPs from the Shiite Coordination Framework and Sunni alliances, including lawmakers Alaa al-Haidari and Raad al-Dahlaki. A parliamentary source told Shafaq News the confrontation escalated over the inclusion of a vote on the Federal Service Council in the session's agenda. Al-Mashhadani objected to the item being added during his brief departure from the chamber, leading to a verbal clash with al-Mandalawi. The session opened with 167 lawmakers in attendance and was expected to vote on several key laws, including amendments to the Education Law and the Law on equivalency of foreign degrees (Law No. 20 of 2020). But the quorum was broken after Sunni MPs walked out in protest. MP Zuhair al-Fatlawi from the Ishraqat Kanoon Movement told Shafaq News that the disruption stemmed from political disagreements rather than technical obstacles. He added that some Sunni blocs insisted on creating a special oversight body for the Federal Service Council, rejecting the proposed law in its current form. In a statement, MP Raad al-Dahlaki, head of the Azm Alliance in Diyala, condemned the events as 'a targeted insult not only to al-Mashhadani personally, but to the Sunni community as a whole,' accusing 'certain factions' of 'attempting to dominate Iraq's last key state institutions—namely the Federal Service Council and the State Council—while denying Sunnis their rightful share.' 'What's worse is that this scheme is being aided by blocs that claim to represent the Sunni constituency,' al-Dahlaki stated. MP Mohammed al-Ziyadi told Shafaq News that the clash collapse was a 'misunderstanding' between the Speaker and his deputy, explaining that al-Mashhadani believed his first deputy had taken advantage of his brief absence to insert controversial items onto the agenda and hold a vote without broader political consensus. Parliament is not expected to reconvene before the Arbaeen, on August 15, after which the disputed laws may be resubmitted for a vote, he revealed.
