26-year-old Syrian student Rama Al Assas was abducted on 27 August 2012 from her home in Damascus. Since then, her whereabouts remain unknown as the Syrian authorities refuse to give any information on her fate. Alkarama is concerned about her physical and mental integrity as torture and ill-treatment is highly likely as long as she remains disappeared.
Alkarama was told that one year after this arrest, an arrest warrant was issued in April 2012 by the Palestine Branch of the Military Intelligence, accusing her of supporting the Free Syrian Army.
Her house in Al Baramka was visited on two different occasions by members of the Military Intelligence's Palestine Branch, in an obvious attempt to arrest her, which forced her to go into hiding.
Four months later, in August 2012, Rama believed it was safe for her to return home and did so. However, in the morning of 27 August 2012, according to our source, three men wearing the uniform of the regular Syrian armed forces, commanded by an individual wearing civilian clothes knocked on several doors in the building where Rama and her family live. They asked people who were living there about Rama, clearly describing her physical appearance. As soon as the young woman opened the door of her house, she was abducted by these four men and her house was raided. She was then seen being forced into a shaded car by these same men.
Since the moment of her arrest, Rama Al Assas' family has not been able to obtain further information about the fate and whereabouts of her. They filed a claim at the Criminal Security at Bab Mussali in Damascus seeking information on what happened but they have not yet received any information as to her fate and whereabouts.
According to local Syrian human rights groups, at least 28, 000 people have disappeared since the beginning of the protests 18 months ago.
Today, Alkarama submitted her case to the UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances to ask for its urgent intervention with the Syrian authorities regarding Ms Al Assas' situation.