FOREWORD
“During my interrogation, with my father still present, the investigator threw coffee at me, and my father was unable to do anything to help me. As my interrogation proceeded and my father was no longer present, I was beaten on the hands and legs, spat at and whipped to the point of collapsing. Every time I collapsed, someone would pour a bottle of cold water on my head to revive me. The interrogations sometimes lasted for 12 continuous hours and more”.
Lamya, a student from Latakia was arrested with her father in June 2012 during a military intelligence raid on her house. Accused of equipping field hospitals with supplies, she was detained for 8 months during which she was exposed to severe acts of torture.
Unveiling instances of violence against women (VAW) is one of the most demanding tasks in the Syrian context.
Important challenges concerning sexual violence related to both the social cultural context in Syria and
methodology of documentation hamper the documentation process. Extensive and sustained efforts are necessary
to ensure that these violations will be addressed during the transitional justice period that should follow the end of the armed conflict and that adequate means are deployed in order to provide victims with support, accompaniment and rehabilitation.
This document is a documentation report prepared by Syrian human rights and women’s rights activist Sema
Nasar, a member in the Syrian Human Rights Network, with the support of the EMHRN and experts in
documentation.