Lesbian Blogger Still Missing in Syria

Amina Arraf, the Syrian-American blogger reported kidnapped in Damascus, remained missing Tuesday.

The Huffington Post reports on the kidnapping witnessed by a friend as described by Rania O. Ismail, a cousin of Arraf's, author of the blog A Gay Girl in Damascus.

"Ismail said Arraf was detained as she and the friend were on their way 'to meet a person involved' with the Local Coordination Committee, an activist group which helps organize and document the protests calling for an end to the Assad regime," reports HuffPo.

In recent weeks, as the regime of President Bashar Assad has intensified its crackdown on protesters, Arraf's blog has become a voice of government opposition. She also writes frankly about her sexuality, a highly sensitive subject in the Arab world.

As global calls grew for Arraf's release throughout Tuesday, media outlets including The New York Timesand NPR questioned her identity. Reporters note that no one who claims to have communicated with Arraf has actually met her in person. In addition, a London woman named Jelena Lecic claims that she is the person in the widely circulated photo used in reports about Arraf.