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In Post-Assad Syria’s Chaos, Alawite Women Face Sexual Violence

Earlier this year, Amnesty International said it received credible reports of at least 36 Alawite women and girls abducted between February and July, while the Associated Press interviewed victims and rights workers describing multiple kidnappings and assaults.
Observers link the attacks to sectarian motives as Sunni extremists and jihadis carried out assaults driven by hate, intensifying since March and after former President Bashar Assad's fall.
Masked gunmen seized women in vans and transported some to basements or abandoned buildings where victims interviewed by the AP reported repeated rape over days or weeks.
Syria's Interior Ministry committee investigated 42 cases and found one real abduction, while victims faced pregnancy, illegal abortion, suicide attempts, divorce, and families fleeing the country.
Amid a disputed official review, the Syrian Observatory said Rami Abdurrahman called the ministry report 'has nothing to do with reality' while rights workers warn authorities are insufficient, noting some suspects are linked to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and foreign jihadi fighters.

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12/5/25 William Van Wagenen on Life in Post-Assad Syria

Download Audio. Scott interviews William Van Wagenen about some of the horrific crimes taking place in Syria now that Bin Ladenite Islamists have taken over the country. They explore some of these stories and discuss the level of attention these are getting in the Western press and the broader geopolitical context behind this consequential regime change. Discussed on the show: Creative Chaos: Inside the CIA’s Covert War to Topple the Syrian Gov…

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