Aleppo, Syria
For more than a decade, Zaher Alolaby has not stopped searching. “Since 2012, I have followed every possible path that could lead me to them,” he says.
On October 28, 2012, during the Eid al-Adha holiday, his brother Hazem Alolaby, then 23, disappeared along with his wife Doaa Falaheh and their two daughters, Hala (born 2007) and Hadia (born 2009), after being stopped at a security checkpoint in Aleppo, according to the family.
The journey was meant to take only minutes. It never ended.
Zaher says the family later learned the four were transferred between multiple security branches, including State Security, Air Force Intelligence, and National Security in Damascus.
Paying for Information
Over the years, Zaher tried to obtain any information.
“Even to know if he was alive, they wanted money,” he says.
He describes paying large sums for vague updates or promises to deliver clothes and basic items to his brother in detention.
“Once, they asked for millions just to tell me how he was.”
He says he also handed over gold and cash through intermediaries and officers, with no clear outcome.
Last Known Sighting
The last reported sighting came in 2021, when a former detainee said he saw Hazem in a military hospital.
Zaher says his brother suffered from a nerve condition in his leg, which may explain the transfer.
Since then, there has been no information.
Today, Hala would be 19, and Hadia 16, Their fate remains unknown.
“I have no information… whether they are alive or dead,” Zaher says.
He believes they may be in orphanages, based on limited and unconfirmed leads.
Years of Dead Ends
The family sought legal help and contacted officials, but received no definitive answers.
“We just want the truth… where are they?” he says.
During Syria’s conflict, tens of thousands of people have disappeared after detention or arrest, according to rights groups.
Many cases remain unresolved due to lack of access to official records.
Despite the years, Zaher has not given up.
“I still have hope… to know where the girls are.”