DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A Syrian government-led commission has found that most allegations of kidnapping Alawite women…
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A Syrian government-led commission has found that most accusations of kidnapping women come from Alawite religious minority were false, according to the findings of the months-long investigation released Sunday.
Syrian Interior Ministry spokesperson Noureddine al-Baba announced the outcome of the investigation into 42 allegations against women and girls during widespread violence along Syria’s coastal provinces in March.
Al-Baba said the committee, which was established in July, spoke to affected women and girls and concluded that only one case involved a kidnapping.
“In the only confirmed kidnapping case, the girl was returned safely after security forces investigated the case,” Al-Baba told a news conference. “The search continues to identify the perpetrators.”
Amnesty International said in July it had received credible reports of several dozen Alawite women and girls abducted in the provinces of Latakia, Tartus, Homs and Hama.
The Syrian investigation concluded that of the remaining 41 cases it examined, 12 involved women fleeing with romantic partners, nine involved “temporary absences” from relatives or friends, six involved those fleeing domestic violence, six involved false accusations on social media, four involved those fleeing extortion or prostitution, and four involved perpetrators of criminal offenses apprehended by security forces.
The violence started after armed groups joined former Syrian President Bashar Assad government security forces attacked. The counterinsurgency led to sectarian revenge attacks and massacres that killed hundreds of civilians from the Alawite religious minority to which Assad belongs.
The violence became one of many hurdles faced by Damascus under interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa since he came to power and tried to return calm and economic recovery to the war-torn country.
“We urge citizens, civil society and human rights organizations to first report any such incidents or suspicions to the Ministry of Interior,” al-Baba said.
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