In some cultures masculinity is often linked to power and dominance, and can be constructed as the ability to exercise power over others. [17] Heterosexual men represent the strength and power of the family and the community, and are expected to protect not just themselves but others. [18] Sexual violence, in disempowering men, can also disempower the broader community. [19] Legal scholar Sandesh Sivakumaran explains: At an individual level, the male is stigmatized as a victim and the community is informed that their male members, their protectors, are unable to protect themselves. And if they are unable to protect themselves, how are they to protect ‘their’ women and ‘their’ community? In this way, the manliness of the man is lost and the family and community are made to feel vulnerable. Disempowerment of the community is again had through the dominance over its male members. [20]

Rape: The physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration of any part of the body with a penis, other body part or object. [2] Most of the male survivors encountered the violence while in Syria. They don’t know about NGOs when they come to Lebanon. Once they come to us it is months or even longer after the violence happened, after they fled Syria. So, the cases become much more intense when they come to us. [173] Integrate responses for male survivors (adult and child) and GBT survivors into sexual violence-related referral pathways and ensure robust referral pathways for all survivors.International humanitarian law forbids deliberate harm to civilians and other persons not taking part in hostilities at the time. Customary international humanitarian law prohibits rape and other forms of sexual violence. Common Article 3 prohibits the infliction of “violence to life and person,” including “cruel treatment and torture,” as well as “outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment” on anyone not participating in the conflict. [205] Sexual Violence as a War Crime Gender: The social and cultural codes (linked to but not congruent with ideas about biological sex) used to distinguish between society’s conceptions of “femininity” and “masculinity.”

Human Rights Watch documented cases where GBT survivors said they were subject to rape by other fellow prisoners in central prisons when they were minors or were forced to rape each other. Zarifa, a 22-year-old gay man, who uses female pronouns, said that her family complained about her to the Syrian government once they realized her sexual orientation, when she was around 13 years old. [106] Intelligence officials detained her and kept her in a solitary cell underground for a week. Then she was transferred to a central prison. She said: A week later they took me to a collective prison [central prison] where I was raped almost every night. I don’t even know if the mukhabarat knew about it. People in the prison not the guards [were raping me]. I was with adults. There were also many minors with me. I believe that they faced the same things like me…. I meant minors were being raped at night…. Rape was committed by adults in the prison and the rest of the violence by guards. I was in the prison until 17 years old—late 17. [107]

To all State Governments, notably the governments of Cameroon, Egypt, Kenya, Lebanon, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uganda and Zambia

Another false assumption is that only GBT individuals are targets of rape and other forms of sexual violence. [29] Men and boys, regardless of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity are targets of rape and other forms of sexual violence, especially in conflict and post-conflict settings. [30] Release all arbitrarily detained persons, in line with Syria’s commitment under point 4 of the Anan plan, “including especially vulnerable categories of persons, and persons involved in peaceful political activities.” [4]

In many cases, staff working in gender-based violence programs have no training in assisting male survivors. Some case workers told Human Rights Watch that they do not know how to respond when they encounter a male survivor of sexual violence. A case manager in a humanitarian organization responsible for the men’s center in the organization said: I am responsible for the men’s center. But I’m not capable or trained to deal with men. I depend on the things I learned with women. I trained myself. I’m always wondering should I say this or that. [185] As a state party to these international treaties, Syria is bound to fulfill its obligations under the treaties and respect and protect all individuals within its territory and jurisdiction. Apart from these treaties, Syria is also bound by rules of international human rights law as part of customary international law. Although non-state armed groups cannot be a party to international treaties, since they are also part of customary international law they are still obligated to respect fundamental human rights—such as right to life and absolute prohibition against torture—in areas where they exercise control over the state territory. [223] In Robert Wise’s critically acclaimed 1963 version, the romance between Theo and Eleanor could merely be hinted at, though it has long puzzled and fascinated fans of the film. Played by Julie Harris and Claire Bloom, one of the film’s most famous scenes features the women clutching each other’s hands in fear before realizing it was actually a spirit. —JDRape and other forms of sexual violence have been used as a tactic and practice of war in different conflict settings by a range of perpetrators against women, men, girls, and boys. [5] Intelligence officers also threatened to reveal his sexual orientation to his family. Yousef told Human Rights Watch: “They said, ‘We are going to bring here your dad to see that you are gay and they will disown you and you are disgusting.’” [102] Sexual and gender minorities in Syria have suffered discrimination and persecution exacerbated by state-sponsored homophobia long before the war began. [64] Perpetrators include family members, community members, and authorities. [65] LGBT people are often seen as shameful and a disgrace to their families, which leads to rejection and, in some cases, death threats and being targeted for “honor killings.” [66] A case worker who works with torture survivors told Human Rights Watch that even men who access psychosocial services can take a very long time to build trust and disclose rape or other sexual abuse they have experienced. [201] The case worker said that one heterosexual male survivor seeking help from their organization asked her, “When a man is raped, he is not a man anymore, right?” [202] Syria has integrated the prohibition of torture into its national legal system via its constitution and penal code. Article 53 of the constitution states: “No one may be tortured or treated in a humiliating manner.” [241] According to Article 391 of the Syrian penal code, “those who unlawfully torture anyone for the sake of extracting confessions or information about a committed crime shall be imprisoned for a period between three months to three years.” [242] Although both laws outlaw torture, the UN Committee Against Torture stated that the relevant provisions fail to ensure appropriate penalties applicable to these acts. [243]