Razan Zaitouneh, co-founder of Violation Documentation Center and the Local Coordination Committee (LCC) and prominent Syrian human rights lawyer and activist, was abducted with her husband, activist Wael Hamada, along with two other activists, Samira Khalil and Nazim Hamadi in Syria on December 10th. All four were abducted at gun point from the joint office of VDC and the Local Development and Small Projects Support (LDSPS) in in the area of Eastern Ghouta, Damascus – an area under the control of a number of armed opposition groups and under continuous seige by government forces. VDC staff reported that the kidnapping was committed by unknown armed individuals.