5 days ago
Justice delayed: Amnesty pressures Syria on Alawite massacre
Shafaq News – Damascus
On Wednesday, Amnesty International (Amnesty or AI) urged the Syrian government to release the findings of its investigation into the mass killings that targeted the Alawite community earlier this year.
Kristyan Benedict, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty, stressed that survivors and the families of victims are entitled to know what happened, who was responsible, and what measures were taken to ensure accountability.
He also added that 'Only independent and impartial investigations can pave the way for justice through fair and credible trials,' stressing that 'Families cannot be left in the dark while impunity prevails.'
He further called on Transitional President Ahmad al-Sharaa to ensure meaningful compensation for survivors and affected families.
We're calling on Syria's president to publish the full findings of the investigation into the mass killings targeting Alawite civilians. Survivors and families have the right to know who was responsible and what steps will be taken to deliver justice.
— Kristyan Benedict (@KreaseChan) July 9, 2025
The violence erupted on March 6 in Syria's coastal region and continued for three days, with authorities pointing to armed groups loyal to former president Bashar al-Assad as responsible for launching the attacks.
However, the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that forces aligned with the current government, along with allied militias, carried out mass executions and other abuses. The group estimated that approximately 1,700 civilians were killed—most of them from the Alawite minority, the sect to which the Assad family belongs.
On March 9, the presidency announced the formation of a committee to investigate the events, initially pledging to release its findings within a month. That timeline was later extended by three months, setting the new deadline for July 10.
Transitional President al-Sharaa also vowed accountability for those involved in the violence, reaffirming his effort to prevent the country from descending into civil war.
