‘As soon as I entered the room I understood why I was there. The head of the prison ordered guards to move her to a cell for other inmates to rape her: One trans victim, Nalia, revealed her experiences in jail. Interviewees described cases of rape, genital violence, threat of rape, forced nudity, and sexual harassment. Sexual violence also took place within the ranks of the Syrian army. They also beat their genitals, burnt them, gave them electric shocks and mutilated them. Most commonly they raped men with objects, including batons, wooden sticks, pipes, and bottles. Once in detention, interrogators would intensify their torture sessions if they discovered the victims’ sexual orientation or gender identity. People in prison for other reasons also faced sexual torture.
The interviewees say guards at checkpoints would target them because they are ‘soft looking’ or effeminate. Prisoners raped trans woman and gay man while cutting them They revealed that both Syrian state and non-state rebels subjected them to horrific sexual attacks. Researchers interviewed 44 survivors who have fled to Lebanon. However, the new report focuses on another terror LGBT+ face – sexual violence. Baying mobs, including young children, then joined the killings by stoning them to death. Most famously, ISIS or Islamic State forces murdered gay men by throwing them from buildings. It’s a further example of the endemic violence LGBT+ people have faced in Syria.
Some of the boys who endured sexual attacks were as young as 11 years old. The torture they experienced has left them bleeding and traumatized. Victims report how officials have raped them with sticks pushed into their anus and up to their stomach. Syrian state authorities and other militias are raping gay men, boys, trans women and non-binary people.Ī new report highlights sickening levels of sexual violence against LGBT+ people in the country.