13 Facts About Razan Zaitouneh

Razan Zaitouneh is a Syrian human rights lawyer and civil society activist.

Razan Zaitouneh was kidnapped on 9 December 2013, most likely by Jaysh al-Islam.

Razan Zaitouneh graduated from law school in Damascus in 1999 and in 2001 started her work as a lawyer.

Razan Zaitouneh has been a member of the team of lawyers for defense of political prisoners since 2001.

In 2005, Razan Zaitouneh established SHRIL, through which she continues to report about human rights violations in Syria.

From 2005 through to her 2013 disappearance, Razan Zaitouneh was an active member of the Committee to Support Families of Political Prisoners in Syria.

Syrian State television aired announcement that Razan Zaitouneh was a foreign agent on 23 March 2011, after which she went into hiding while continuing her legal and human rights work, in order to avoid being arrested.

Razan Zaitouneh founded the Violations Documentation Center in Syria in April 2011 to document human rights violations and abuses in the country by all sides.

Razan Zaitouneh contributed to human rights violations reports circulated by the Local Coordination Committees of Syria, of which she was one of the founders.

Razan Zaitouneh was previously awarded the Anna Politkovskaya Award by Reach All Women in War.

In 2013 Razan Zaitouneh was granted the International Women of Courage Award.

Pro-opposition websites reported that on 9 December 2013 Razan Zaitouneh had been kidnapped along with her husband, Wael Hamadeh, and two colleagues, Samira Khalil and Nazem Hammadi, in the opposition-held town of Douma to the north of Damascus.

AP stated clues suggesting that Jaysh al-Islam had detained Razan Zaitouneh and held her in Tawbeh Prison.