A/HRC/21/50
Homs city ( Homs), February–May 2012
6.
Eleven of those interviewed, including two of the victims, detailed rapes and sexual
assault perpetrated by Government forces and Shabbiha during military operations in
Homs. Four interviewees were themselves members of the Government forces in Homs
during the military operations.
7.
One victim, a man living with his family in Bab Amr, stated that in late
February/early March 2012, 40-50 men wearing military clothes burst into his house at 5:00
am. He described being forced to watch the gang rape of his wife and two elder daughters,
14 and 11 years old, before then being raped himself, with his family being made to watch:
The men raped [my two daughters] and my wife, forcing them onto the ground to do
so. They raped them at the same time. When they began to rape my daughters, they
forced me to raise my head and watch. You cannot imagine what that felt like, as a
man to sit there and watch them do that. They raped each of them three times. Then
they forced me out of the chair and ordered me onto the ground. They raped me as
well and ordered my wife and children to watch. The men were jeering and said,
“Look at your father.” They destroyed me.
8.
The same interviewee stated that as the family fled the city with other residents of
Bab Amr, the group was stopped at a checkpoint where soldiers detained eight girls. The
girls were later released and, according to the interviewee, confirmed that they had been
raped.
9.
One of the defectors stated that he was deployed to Homs city in February 2012 and
was given orders to shoot anything that moved. He said that commanders ordered them to
tie up the men, tell them not to kill them, but to make them watch while they sexually
assaulted their wives and daughters. The interviewee was present when members of the
army raped women during the February 2012 military operations in Homs city.
10.
Another interviewee spoke about the rape of his wife by members of the Syrian
army during ground operations in Homs city in May 2012. He stated that his family fled
their home during the shelling. His wife who had returned to check on their house was
stopped by five soldiers, including one lieutenant, and reportedly raped by each of them.
11.
Two residents of Karm-el-Zeytoun described soldiers and Shabbiha entering houses
in March 2012 and raping females inside. One resident stated she witnessed soldiers raping
and then executing a 16 year-old girl. A third interviewee, a young man, stated that 13
soldiers together with a number of Shabbiha entered his house in Karm-el-Zeytoun, looted
it and detained him in a nearby house. He stated that while detained he heard women
screaming in an adjoining room and believed they were being raped.
12.
Another soldier stated that he defected shortly after a gang rape of women by
Shabbiha in Ar-Rastan in March 2012. He described being part of a group of soldiers
ordered to surround a house while Shabbiha entered, after which he could hear women
shouting to leave them alone and screaming that they would prefer to be killed. Two other
defectors said that they heard colleagues bragging about committing rapes during the
military operations in Bab Amr in late February 2012.
Al-Haffe (Latakia), early June 2012
13.
Four interviewees, including one victim, described rape occurring during military
operations on, or in the days following 5 June 2012.
14.
A female victim stated that she was in her house with three children when ―heavily
armed Shabbihas‖ broke in and demanded, at gunpoint, that she undress. She was accused
of providing food and support to the anti-Government armed groups before being dragged
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