“I was savagely beaten and repeatedly raped,” said Sabeen, a Syrian 24-year-old refugee and torture survivor. “I had my hands and feet bound and was held captive for three weeks.”

Sabeen was kidnapped along with her brother and cousin by armed men. During captivity, she was forced to watch as they were beaten and murdered. 

During captivity, she was forced to watch as they were beaten and murdered.”

Sabeen fled to Amman, Jordan. She suffered from headaches, chronic pain, depression, anxiety and nightmares. After being referred to CVT Jordan, Sabeen became more self-confident and reported fewer nightmares and headaches.

CVT’s work in Jordan is made possible with funding from the US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, the United Nations Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, and the United States Agency for International Development/World Learning and the American people’s support, and Open Society Foundation

Photo: Patrick Nicholson/Caritas

The names of survivors and some personal details have been changed to protect their identity. The photos represent the many countries and cultures represented by torture survivors. We do not use images of survivors to protect their identity and their safety.