Murder in Syria: Vicky Ajok’s family cries out for diplomatic rescue

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The distressed family of a Ugandan domestic worker convicted of murdering her employer in Syria has made an emotional plea to the government to intervene and bring their daughter home.

Vicky Ajok, a 33-year-old mother of two from Opaya village in Bobi subcounty, Omoro district, was arrested on January 29, 2026, in Damascus following the death of her 87-year-old employer, Huda Shaarawi.

Legal proceedings moved with unusual speed, as Syrian state media released a video of Ajok reenacting the crime in early February 2026. This rapid progression led to widespread reports of her conviction and a possible execution within weeks of her detention.

By late February, social media reports began circulating claims that an execution date had been set for February 28, 2026. These specific rumours were later dismissed by the Syrian Ambassador in Kampala, Dr Tamouh Moustafa, who clarified that the legal process was still ongoing.

Ajok’s travel to Syria

Like many other young women from Uganda, Ajok sought employment abroad in September 2025 through labour export channels, hoping to secure a better financial future.

After arriving in Syria, she was employed as a domestic worker.

The situation took a critical turn when she was detained by Syrian authorities and accused of murdering her employer, a charge that carries severe legal consequences under Syrian law.

Ajok's situation is frequently cited by activists as a cautionary tale regarding the "externalisation of labour."

Last visit home

According to Ajok’s mother, Beatrice Oyella, 54, the last time she saw her daughter was on August 15, 2025, when she visited home from Gulu city, where she was working.

Vicky Ajok's Parents, Simon Kitara and Beatrice Oyella together with Ajok's two children.

“All her relatives were here with us, and they were all happy to see her at home. She returned to her workplace in Gulu city the following day…without telling me about her travel plans out of fear that I might stop her, I guess,” said Oyella.

“A year back, she came home from Gulu city and asked us to let her go and work outside Uganda, but we refused because we were not sure of her safety there,” she added.

Oyella recalled telling her daughter that there were many jobs she could do within Uganda and that she should abandon all plans of travelling abroad.

This did not go well with Ajok, although she did not show her disappointment. In 2025, she quietly began processing her travel documents.

In September, she called her brother, Samuel Odong, from Entebbe International Airport moments before her departure.

“Brother, please tell mum and dad that I have travelled to Syria to work there. I know this will not make them happy because I did not tell them. I also beg you to apologise to them on my behalf,” Odong quoted her sister, Ajok.

Odong said he wished her well, saying, “I have no problem with that. All I can tell you is to work very hard so that you prosper.”

Communication and signs of trouble

While in the Middle East, Ajok communicated with her family primarily through WhatsApp video calls to her brother.

However, her mother last spoke to her on December 24, 2025.

“Ajok told me that they had not paid her for a couple of months, and the second thing was that she was also suffering from Malaria,” said Oyella.

Ajok asked her mother to sell one of her goats for Christmas money because she was still waiting for her salary.

The family’s struggle for justice

After receiving news of the arrest, Ajok's father, Simon Kitara, sought help from the police and the Omoro resident district commissioner’s office, but was told the crime was outside their jurisdiction.

The family later reached out to minister Hillary Onek and other government officials.

“We were told that the government was working very hard to save Ajok and that she would be sent back to Uganda,” said Kitara.

An appeal for support

Oyella remains shocked by the details of the case, describing her daughter as a calm person.

“She has not been a person who is cantankerous. All her life, many of her relatives and the community members regarded her as a person who listens and is obedient,” said Oyella.

“I do not believe she killed her boss because she has not been such a person in life.”

Because Uganda does not have a resident embassy in Syria, the family appealed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to verify her well-being through nearby missions.

“I appeal to my leaders in the village, the district and at the top government level to help my daughter, who is being accused of killing her employer,” said Oyella.

Current diplomatic status

As of early March 2026, the situation remains a matter of high-level diplomatic engagement.

The Ugandan government, led by foreign affairs state minister Henry Okello Oryem, is engaging Syrian authorities through the Ugandan mission in Egypt.

These efforts are focused on seeking clemency, with officials highlighting claims of workplace mistreatment and unpaid wages as important context.

Who is Vicky Ajok?

Born on November 8, 1992, Vicky Ajok is the eldest of six children. She began her education at Opaya P.7 School in Bobi subcounty, Omoro district.

She later pursued a course in catering at St Janani Luwum Technical School in Gulu city, a qualification that paved the way for her first job at Freedom Guest House in the same city.

According to her family, Ajok spent more than 12 years working in the hospitality industry.

Her career included roles at several establishments in Gulu city, including Freedom Guest House, Parwech Guest House and Diamond Complex Hotel.