Incident Summary:
In a concerning incident, contact was lost with Abdul Karim Bahaa Abbas, a young man from the Alawite community in western rural Homs, on the morning of Monday, October 13, 2025, while he was traveling to Lebanon through an intermediary offering job placement services. Communication with him was suddenly cut off, raising fears that he may have been kidnapped. The situation calls for an urgent investigation to determine the circumstances of his disappearance and ensure his safety.
Detailed Information about the Incident:
Nature of the Incident: Possible enforced disappearance or fraud case.
Victim’s Identity:
Name: Abdul Karim Bahaa Abbas
Place of Origin: Shin Village, Western Rural Homs, Syria
Religious/Ethnic Background: Belongs to the Alawite community
Date and Time: Morning of Monday, October 13, 2025
Location: Loss of contact occurred while traveling from rural Homs to Lebanon
Perpetrating Party (Suspected): Unknown. The incident involved a fake intermediary or suspicious employment agency operating through a Facebook platform, which had posted a job announcement that prompted the victim’s trip to Lebanon. The intermediary’s phone number became unreachable following the victim’s disappearance.
Context: This incident comes amid a rise in killings, sectarian and ethnic violence, and kidnappings targeting minorities in Syria following the takeover of power by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
