The APPG on Women, Peace & Security held on an event on Syria:   Sexual Violence against minority communities on Wednesday 21^st January in the House of Lords.

The meeting opened with an overview from Dr Katia Alkhateb, Director of Syria in Transition, who highlighted the persistence of systematic violations against civilians in Syria amid an ongoing militarised armed conflict. Following the collapse of the former regime in December 2024, Syria entered a transition phase marked by major political and social restructuring. However, this period has been accompanied by heightened risks for minority communities, particularly the Alawite population.

Dr Alkhateb outlined indicators suggesting elevated atrocity and potential genocide risks affecting Alawites, including collective punishment, identity-based violence, forced displacement, and social exclusion. She noted that in transitional contexts, minorities perceived as linked to former regimes often lack legal protections, creating conditions for renewed cycles of violence. The framing of political responsibility for past state crimes has, in practice, translated into narratives of community-level guilt. Warning signs consistent with mass atrocity risk markers were identified, including hate speech, dehumanisation, and normalisation of violence against targeted groups. These narratives have been amplified through social media and, in some cases, reinforced by public statements from state officials and religious authorities.

Concern was raised about the use of religious mobilisation rhetoric, including calls for “nafir,” which blurred distinctions between civilians and combatants. In March 2025, following unrest involving a small number of individuals on the Syrian coast, authorities reportedly issued a broad call for mobilisation. This resulted in large-scale movement of armed actors and civilians to the coastal region and was followed by a documented massacre involving over 2,300 victims. Questions were raised regarding state duty of care, command responsibility, and potential war crimes implications, particularly where officials have publicly asserted no distinction between civilians and military actors. Concerns were also raised about similar patterns of violence targeting other minority groups, including Druze and Kurdish communities, and the lack of meaningful security sector reform addressing extremist ideologies.

The meeting also heard evidence from Dima Ouda, former senior journalist at BBC World Service, regarding gender-based violations. Over 100 cases of abduction of Alawite girls and women have been documented, including underage victims, with 55 cases verified directly with families. These cases reportedly involve trafficking, forced marriage, and other forms of gender-based violence, often occurring in public spaces such as routes to school or family homes. Evidence suggests systemic barriers to reporting, including lack of safe and independent reporting channels, refusal by authorities to register cases, and alleged links between perpetrators and security actors or affiliated groups. Parallel documentation has been reported in Sweida relating to Druze women. Participants emphasised the need for independent monitoring, international accountability mechanisms, and immediate protection and evacuation pathways for women and girls at risk, alongside psychosocial and survivor support programming.

Participants also discussed governance and political transition dynamics. Concerns were raised about the composition of parliament, perceived performative participation of women in politics, and the ongoing influence of armed actors within the war economy. Abductions were assessed by some participants as serving broader objectives of social and political exclusion, as well as control over women’s autonomy. There were also discussions on the role of social media in reinforcing harmful narratives, and the impact of international “Syria fatigue,” refugee pressures, and geopolitical considerations on external engagement and accountability.

Questions were raised regarding the adequacy of current state-led investigative processes and the extent to which they have the technical capacity and independence required to ensure credible accountability. Participants also discussed broader international engagement, including transition monitoring and the role of international accountability pathways, including independent tribunals and documentation bodies. Participants noted the importance of early warning monitoring, particularly given projections that risks of mass atrocity crimes against minorities could escalate over the next 4–5 years without intervention.