The guys detained Um Hassan’s older brother when they produced ownership certificates, claiming they could only get him back after they had moved out. According to Um Hassan, who would only use her nickname out of concern for retaliation, the family gave up the house 24 hours later and picked him up, wounded and abused, from the local General Security Service headquarters.
Her family belongs to the Alawite minority of Syria, which is a branch of the Shi’ite religion and the sect of former dictator Bashar al-Assad. Their tale is hardly the only one.
Syrian officials and Alawite leaders say the security forces have evicted hundreds of Alawites from their private residences in Damascus since President Ahmed al-Sharaa took over in December.
